'Dante?'
Azriel frowned. He couldn't recall anyone with that name.
"Yes, Dante," Nol replied.
"The way he arrived here was… interesting."
He leaned back, voice calm, almost amused.
"He said he found an altar in the Void Realm, somewhere called the Asura Mountains. The moment he arrived here, he thought I was some kind of angel who would bless him with powers…"
Nol shrugged lightly.
"And so, I just went with it."
Azriel stared at him blankly.
'So he lied…'
"In exchange for him being my information source—and doing me a favor—I told him I'd bless him when the time was right."
Azriel raised a brow.
"What favor?"
"You see, he has a skill that lets him track someone using their blood. So…" Nol smiled faintly.
"I gave him yours. A few days ago, he finally found traces of you in France—only for you to suddenly disappear again."
Azriel's eyes narrowed.
"All those military bases wiped out a few days ago… was that because of him?"
Nol nodded calmly, as though discussing the weather.
"It was. He had to keep face. He couldn't exactly return empty-handed to the organization he belongs to."
'Organization…?'
A knot formed in Azriel's stomach.
"What organization?"
"Hmm…" Nol tilted his head.
"I believe the name was Neo Genesis."
"…Fuck."
Neo Genesis.
The very group that had plagued Earth since the first Void generation. Fanatics hell-bent on letting the Void Realm consume everything.
The same organization responsible for nearly half of Asia's destruction.
And Azriel already knew what came next. After the academy entrance exam, there would be a trip.
And Neo Genesis would strike, aiming to massacre the future heroes before they could rise.
"Haaa…" Azriel rubbed his face.
"That guy—can he still track me?"
Nol shook his head, and relief washed through Azriel.
"No. His skill only works when he consumes your blood, and it needs to recharge every month. We only met once a month. At our last meeting, I stopped giving him your blood. I was done searching for you."
"This invitation," Nol added quietly, "was supposed to be my last effort. Who knew we'd meet again at the very last moment?"
Azriel said nothing, though his expression darkened.
"That person Dante…" He leaned forward.
"To wipe out all the military bases in France, what rank is he in Neo Genesis?"
Neo Genesis followed a strict hierarchy:
Initiates
Acolytes
Void Spawns
Enforcers
Void Commanders
Grand Executors
Heptarchs: the seven most powerful, each a Head
Supreme Archon: the mastermind above all
"When I first met him, he was only an Enforcer," Nol explained. "Now, he's a Void Commander. After France? Heh, he may be promoted to Grand Executor."
Azriel's stomach sank. Those soldiers in France—their deaths traced back to him.
'Right… and this won't be the last time people die because of me, will it?'
He knew what kind of world this was. The morals of his old one didn't fit here.
"I told him," Nol said suddenly, "that once he became a Heptarch, I'd grant him immortality." Nol chuckled.
"As if I could actually do that."
Azriel nearly choked.
'What a shameless bastard! Doesn't he realize he just made a future enemy?'
Then another thought struck him.
"…Does he know my name?"
Thankfully, Nol shook his head.
"No. I only gave him your blood and strictly ordered him not to identify it. He could only discover who you were if he found you himself."
'Good…'
"Do you still have Dante's blood?" Azriel asked.
"Yes." Nol tapped the black ring on his hand.
"Stored in here. Along with a little of yours."
Azriel's mind raced.
'Having someone inside Neo Genesis… That could be useful.'
Still… this "side event" was starting to feel like a main event in disguise.
"Anything else I need to know?" Azriel asked cautiously, praying the answer was no.
"Nah," Nol said casually.
"Not that I recall. Why? You want to go back?"
Azriel nodded.
"Yeah. My family's probably worried by now."
'Mom is definitely going to kill me…'
"Your family, huh," Nol said softly.
"Right. Master is a prince, after all. Of course."
Azriel didn't like the strange glint of admiration in his eyes.
"Alright! Let's go meet your family!" Nol announced suddenly, springing up and striding toward the entrance.
"Huh?" Azriel blinked.
'Meet my family?'
"Wait!" He scrambled up to chase after him.
"Didn't you say you were stuck here?"
"Oh, yes," Nol replied cheerfully.
"I was stuck. Not anymore."
Azriel gave him a look.
"What?"
"Just yesterday, I broke the seal keeping me here. Now I can leave—the same way you came."
'Just yesterday, huh… Perfect timing. Too perfect.'
Nol grinned.
"Funny, isn't it, master? If you hadn't accepted my invitation today, I would've left tomorrow. Perhaps it's fate, no?"
"Perhaps…" Azriel muttered, suspicion gnawing at him.
"But… you're free now. Why follow me?"
Nol stopped and turned, his crimson eyes serious.
"Because you are my master."
Azriel froze at the intensity of his voice.
"You might have forgotten your memories, but I haven't. No matter what, you are still my master, the one who taught me everything, and I intend to follow you till your death. Besides, staying with you, master... I doubt it would ever get boring."
Azriel exhaled sharply.
"Is that really what you want?"
"It is."
There wasn't a trace of hesitation in Nol's voice.
"…Haaa." Azriel pinched the bridge of his nose.
"How am I supposed to explain this to Mom and Dad…"
Truly troublesome.
"What's your mana core level, anyway?"
Nol blinked.
"Hm? Level 2. Grade 3 Intermediate."
'The same as me… but how?'
It wasn't like Nol had fought Void creatures. Then it clicked.
'The mana here. He's been breathing it in for so long, his body adapted—enough to reach Grade 3 Intermediate.'
The theory fit. But Azriel was too tired to dwell on it.
"Fine," he muttered.
"Let's go. Just… don't cause unnecessary trouble, alright?"
Nol's face lit up.
"Of course! I would never cause trouble for master!"
Azriel gave him a flat look.
'I don't believe him.'
How could he? A moment ago, Nol was shaking the entire hall with his fury, and now he was as obedient as a puppy.
Azriel sighed, shaking his head.
'Please, let my parents not kill me themselves.'
*****
"Whoa! So this is what Earth looks like, huh?"
Azriel watched Nol, who was staring around like a kid at a carnival. They had just teleported back to the Crimson estate, landing quietly in the backyard.
You haven't seen half of it, Azriel thought, realizing Nol truly had never left White Haven.
How had Nol, with an [unique skill] like that, ended up imprisoned there? It was a mystery—one Azriel wasn't sure he wanted solved just yet.
The first rays of dawn broke across the horizon, painting the sky gold. Azriel sighed.
"Two hours is still better than two years, I suppose."
Suddenly—
A cold, chilling voice sliced through the morning air from behind them.
Both Azriel and Nol froze, goosebumps prickling their skin as they turned slowly.
What they saw was no ordinary sight.
A devil stood there.
In the form of his mother.
His poor father had already fallen, slumped against the garden wall with his eyes closed—the tragic casualty of whatever had just unfolded.
Azriel's throat went dry. The garden seemed to ignite under the sheer weight of her gaze.
'…Fuck.'
[AN: Extra character illustrations are now available on the Discord server!]