28 Chapter 28: Forever Until Now

The tense, dreary atmosphere of the room was suffocating, feeling as though something or someone would jump out at any moment. A chilling breeze swept through from out of seemingly nowhere, intensifying the dreadful sensation encompassing the entire area.

The majestic double doors stood tall and imposing, surrounded by a daunting air that repelled all who chanced upon it. The two statues positioned on either side appeared both grand and menacing, outlining a duo of massive Cyclops.

Such an alarming scene would've prompted even the bravest of men to retreat in haste.

However, at this moment, a sole figure appeared, approaching with silent steps. They carried themselves with a relaxed demeanor, their hands casually tucked away into their pockets. It was a complete contrast to the ominous atmosphere surrounding them.

Gazing on with an unconcerned expression, it was made evident that they held no regard for what lay ahead, sauntering forth with purposeful strides. The figure in question was, of course, Aziel.

Since he had decided to enter the room, he went back and stored the rest of his equipment, taking with him only the essentials he found necessary. There was no need to overthink, after all, nothing could stop him from obtaining what he wanted.

Stopping a few meters out from the doors, Aziel glanced at both statues with no particular expression. He already knew how things played out, thus—

"I'm not really the violent type, so just fuck off."

His voice traveled throughout faintly as he lifted a single hand, and in that moment, everything, even time itself, seemed to ground to a halt. It was silent, however, a biting chill steadily spread across the room.

The air surrounding the two Cyclops statues went completely still, though what remained was a rapidly decreasing temperature that almost instantly approached dangerous levels.

Aziel kept his hand raised, enveloped in a regal atmosphere as if instilling his will into everything around him. Opening his mouth, his voice echoed despite the low volume, offhandedly declaring his command.

"Cryo-Stasis"

In an instant, the air around the Cyclops statues froze, leaving behind a thin layer of frost that covered their stone encasings. White particles completely engulfed the statues outlining, and while it seemed as though nothing had changed, the Cyclops within were actually still alive.

Only, the surface of their skin had become utterly frozen, seeping through the rock that encased them and erasing any and all physical function. It was a masterful display of control that would've put even the greatest magic expert to shame.

The spell he used was one that halted the movement of molecules, causing objects to be encapsulated in ice. However, Aziel kept it from freezing both monsters inside out, only coating the outer layer of their skin and muscles in frost.

So while it didn't kill them immediately, they couldn't move even if they wanted to.

The initial design was for both Cyclops to awaken simultaneously from their stone tombs when any challenger attempted to affect the large double doors in some way, basically functioning as a guardian of sorts.

And yet, Aziel had just completely circumvented the usual sequence in which these events were meant to play out. As always, he managed to flip conventional logic on its head effortlessly.

"It's gotta be depressing… I know I'd be mad as hell if I were you…"

Aziel slowly made his way forward, shaking his head with clearly feigned helplessness.

The poor guardians of these double doors had likely been waiting around for centuries for a challenger to appear in front of them, only to be immobilized before they could truly even show themselves.

Under such circumstances, it wouldn't even be surprising if one was driven mad with anger.

Arriving before the Cyclops standing on the left side, Aziel casually stepped into the air, ascending upward as though he were on a staircase. Eventually, he reached the Cyclops' large torso before stopping his progression.

He scrutinized it carefully, gazing at the frost covered statue up and down. Until finally, he moved close enough to make contact, reeling a single arm backward and—

*CRSH!—SPLGH!!*

…Pierced the center of its chest in a single strike.

Tiny fragments of stone and ice sprinkled toward the ground below, a waterfall of thick, crimson liquid trailing close behind. Still, there was no sign of movement from the now wounded Cyclops, remaining stationary even as Aziel dug around through its chest cavity.

"Should be somewhere in here, where're you hiding it…?"

Blood continued to trickle down in large quantities as he felt around the monster's internal organs. After a few minutes of searching, his hand finally grabbed hold of a hard, fist-sized, spherical object.

"Got it…"

Ripping his hand free, the object in question was revealed to be a dark red mana crystal, a glowing orb that functioned as one of the keys to the double doors ahead.

While one normally couldn't enter by ordinary means, upon defeating the guardians waiting outside the door, there existed two keys to be extracted in order to open them.

"You've done me a good service—rest well…"

After giving these shallow parting words in the most insincere manner possible, he focused his 'Cryo-Stasis' spell onto it with greater intensity, immediately encasing it in a solid block of ice.

Then—

*CR-CRACK—CRRRRSSHHHH!*

The ice containing the Cyclops broke apart into countless large chunks, shattering further upon reaching the ground. Though he still made sure to keep a few of the frozen pieces large enough to eat after they melted.

With such a conclusion, it marked the end of a pitiful guardian who didn't even have a chance to complete its initial mission.

"I definitely won't remember you, but let's just agree that I will…"

Moving on to the next Cyclops, Aziel repeated a similar sequence of actions and also dispatched it in a timely manner. What was supposed to have been a bitter fight turned into complete annihilation, an overwhelming victory that shouldn't have happened.

Having acquired both keys necessary to open the double doors, he lowered himself to the ground, finally standing before it. Upon taking a closer look at it, he realized the craftsmanship of the doors was even more impressive than he'd initially thought.

Moreover, there was a magic circle carved into a tiny hollow on each of the two.

"Oh…? I'm not even gonna act like I understand a damn thing about this ancient nonsense…"

Despite having read most of the books in Eleanor's library back at the Capital, he still couldn't recognize the inscription, and understandably so. This was a magic circle dating back entire centuries, it'd be weird if he actually recognized even a single symbol on the circles.

Quickly losing interest in the topic, Aziel opted to just place the two fist-sized mana crystals into the two indents, fitting them perfectly in place. After a brief delay, they suddenly began to pour vast amounts of dark red mana into the magic circles.

The sound of something snapping resounded in the distance as the light began to fade. Mana began diffusing within the room at the same time, prompting the surrounding walls to give off a bright glow.

The room was instantly filled with even more light than Aziel had ever come across down in the labyrinth.

He ignored the sudden brightness, pushing open the door without hesitation.

However, what greeted him was a room engulfed in pitch black darkness, not a single light source to be found. Of course, the combination of his natural eyesight, night vision, and the light spilling in from the outside was more than enough for him to make out everything in his surroundings.

The interior of the room was composed of a marble-like substance that gave off an opulent feeling. Two rows of thick pillars, spaced out at regular intervals, extended all the way to the opposite end of the room.

In the very center of it all stood a huge cubical slab of rock, its surface seemed rather glossy, shining from the reflective light originating from the outside room behind him.

Without having to look too carefully, Aziel immediately noticed a figure that glowed faintly, jutting out from the center of the cubical rock's front face. It looked as though it were sprouting out of the rock.

Thrusting open the doors fully, he transmuted the ground below to hold them in place. However, at that exact moment, the figure encased within the cube stirred—

"W-who…goes there…"

It was a faint, hoarse female voice.

Harboring no surprise at this occurrence, Aziel turned his attention back to the center of the room. The figure he'd noticed earlier squirmed slightly. A second later, the light pouring in from the outside finally revealed that figure's true form.

It was a girl buried in the cubical rock from the neck down, her dirty golden locks dangled limply in front of her face. Eyes as red as the blood moon peaked out between the gaps of her hair.

She looked to be rather young, no older than 12 or 14 years of age. Still, despite her haggard appearance and her hair covering the better part of her face, it was clear that she was still quite…cute.

Correct, she was indeed 'cute'.

No matter how attractive she seemed to the ordinary person, Aziel couldn't see her as anything other than just good-looking. After all, her appearance was that of a child, something he personally wasn't interested in.

Aziel regarded her for a brief instance, taking in the girl's dumbfounded shock at his presence. Since they were well and truly deep in the labyrinth, her surprise was understandable.

Still, he stood in place, giving no indication as to what he planned on doing. He stared directly into the girl's crimson eyes; both their gazes trained on one another without any sign of disengaging.

However, seeming to have finally calmed herself down, the girl parted her dry lips, reiterating her previous question as best she could.

"Who…?"

Curiosity, hope, and desperation all mingled within her tone, making it evident that she only desired to be liberated from her imprisonment. Despite her difficulty, the girl still craned her neck to look up at his figure.

And yet, she once again received no answer other than the same calm stare. His pale golden eyes inspected her closely, a piercing gaze that seemed to see straight through her.

Aziel watched the girl in complete silence, observing without a word. There was nothing to be said, and he wasn't too keen on answering her questions either.

But just as she opened her mouth to speak once more, he finally made his move, walking down the marble-like floor as he made his way toward her. The girl instantly shut her mouth, gazing at his calm approach with a stunned look.

Within moments, Aziel had already arrived in front of her, standing only a few feet away. They once again stared into each other's eyes, gazing at one another for what seemed like an eternity.

However—

"P-please…h-help me…"

The girl spoke haltingly, pleading for salvation.

The yearning in her eyes was clear as day, something Aziel couldn't possibly miss. Still, he merely raised his brows, sighing in exasperation.

"You…"

The girl's eyes widened at his brief utterance, listening in closely as anticipation rose within her.

And yet, reality was often disappointing.

"You couldn't really believe that I'd help you just because you asked, right? That can't be the case."

He knew all too well her circumstances.

"I haven't heard a single reason as to why I should save you, hell, I don't even know you…"

He knew exactly who she was.

"Say I really do let you out and you end up killing me, I'm the one stuck looking stupid, right?"

But even then…

"Stop playing games with me, if you don't give me something to work with, I'm getting the hell up out of here immediately."

Life was nothing like a fairy tale, no sunshine and rainbows illuminated every part of one's journey. Reality wasn't a game, it didn't operate as such. There existed real consequences to one's own actions.

No reset button was present for those who ultimately failed in the end, they were forced to roll with the punches. And that was exactly why Aziel never moved recklessly. Moreover, he was no where near kind enough to put compassion above his own interests.

Of course, though he merely questioned a few reasonable concerns that he shouldn't be aware of already, in this situation, it was abundantly clear; an undisclosed 'Psychological Manipulation'.

It was often said that people tended not to appreciate the things that come too easily. It was only with difficulty that they truly appreciated what they accomplished. Though, of course, the girl's situation was completely different overall, Aziel wasn't willing to gamble on uncertain events.

The girl shook her head in a panic, opening and closing her mouth wordlessly. She attempted to quickly get her true circumstances across to him before he decided to leave her behind.

"N-no…Please…I'm not…anyone bad…t-trust me…! …I-I'm down here…b-because…because I've been…betrayed…!"

It was all she could muster with her hoarse voice, spilling out her reasoning in the most concise manner she could think of.

"That wasn't so difficult, now was it? We're finally getting somewhere, I guess…"

Aziel nodded, gesturing for her to continue.

And so, she did exactly that, speaking hastily in the hopes of keeping his attention.

"I'm…one of the original Atavistic Vampires…because of the extraordinary power I was gifted with, I worked hard for the sake of my country…and my people. But then…one day, my retainers…all said I wasn't needed anymore. My uncle…said that he would be king in my…place. I…was fine with that, but because I had so much power…everyone was afraid of me. They…thought I was dangerous…they couldn't kill me, so they decided to seal me here instead. That's why…"

She spoke haltingly but desperately, her parched throat making speech difficult.

What she stated was something Aziel had understood from the beginning, and he didn't require further clarification on such topics.

"You've been down here for so long without food, so you must have some kind of powerful healing factor. And the reason why 'they' couldn't kill you was because of that, right…?"

The girl widened her eyes in astonishment; he was right on the mark. Though quickly returning to her senses, she nodded her head furiously, adding in another detail.

"Y-yes…I heal…automatically, no matter what kind of…injury it is…it'll heal by itself. Even if you cut my head off…I'll regenerate eventually…but…the main thing is that…I can control mana…directly…without a magic circle…"

While her regeneration ability was indeed overpowered and actually made her immortal, it also wasn't without limitations. And just like Aziel, she was also capable of controlling mana directly without the need for chants or magic circles.

They were both able to blast off spells freely unlike those who were forced to chant long incantations, making them virtually unbeatable in any kind of confrontation.

Her skills were cheat-level, far surpassing that of any heroes.

"Please…save me…"

She begged softly as she watched Aziel nod a few times with no particular surprise.

Gazing into her fixated crimson eyes, he stared back, squinting. Minutes passed, but they continued, seemingly coming to a silent, mutual understanding.

At this, Aziel finally turned his head, looking around the room with an inscrutable expression.

"…Why not."

Shrugging his shoulders without a care, he approached the stone cube in which she was imprisoned, placing a hand on its cool surface. Her eyes opened wide as she realized what he was doing.

Though Aziel paid her no attention as he began transmuting. His multi-colored mana manifested, flowing down his arm in waves. The cube resisted his intrusion, but it was far from enough to make him struggle.

Slowly but surely, his mana began seeping into the cube, spreading throughout its crevices. However, he poured more mana into the spell, hastening the process and overcoming the rock's resistance.

It took effect immediately, his galaxy-colored mana shone throughout the room, giving it an otherworldly appearance. The girl stared down at him fixedly, utterly entranced by his display.

Aziel's mana shone brighter and brighter, causing the cube to tremble violently. He poured a massive amount of mana into it, controlling his spell with practiced ease.

Finally, the portion of the cube that trapped her began to melt like hot butter and dribble to the ground, slowly releasing her from her stone prison. As it gradually fell away, her modest breasts were fully visible.

Next came her waist, then her hands, her thighs, until finally, the cube melted away entirely, and she was free. Her completely naked body was quite clearly emaciated, but her supposed allure was lost on Aziel.

He breathed out an exaggerated sigh as he walked toward her, casually tucking his hands into his pockets. Even from this endeavor, he wasn't exhausted enough to have to sit down.

Suddenly, he felt a tug at the bottom of his pants, the girl's small, slender, and frail hand trembled as she looked up at him expressionlessly. Gazing down at her without turning his head, he could immediately discern the wealth of emotions dwelling within her crimson red eyes.

In a small and shaky, but powerful voice, the girl laid bare her most prominent feelings.

"Thank You."

Aziel squinted his eyes slightly, not taking her words to heart at all.

As always, he'd only just done what he wanted to do, nothing more, nothing less.

They both gazed into each other's eyes quietly, her hand refusing to let go of his clothes. It didn't need to be said how long she'd been trapped here, suffering.

Vampires had gone extinct hundreds of years ago. That was also what had been written in the history books.

Even when Aziel had been speaking to her earlier, her face remained expressionless. Which meant that she had spent far too long in this solitary dark cell, long enough to forget how to speak, and even how to show emotions.

According to the story she told him, she had been betrayed by someone she trusted, leaving one to wonder how she hadn't gone insane. But that also might've been due to her healing factor.

And yet, that meant she'd been tortured for centuries by her own abilities, unable to even sink into the release of madness.

However, as he peered into her unblinking eyes, he didn't fail to notice the darkness dwelling deep within. It was silent, hidden, and untraceable, but he could tell without a doubt; the girl wasn't sane by any stretch of the word.

"What's your name…?"

Hearing the girl's voice, Aziel pulled out a small vial of ambrosia as he answered.

"...I go by Aziel Nox. You…?"

"Aziel, Aziel, Aziel…"

She muttered Aziel to herself over and over as if carving it into her memories. After she finished repeating it, she opened her mouth to respond, before hesitating for a moment, and deciding against it.

"Give me one…"

"Give you one, huh…"

She nodded in affirmation, awaiting his answer.

The reason she wanted a new name was likely because she wanted to throw away her old self and be reborn, to be completely unrecognizable to the person she was before.

And the first step toward that transformation was getting a new moniker.

She looked expectantly up at Aziel.

He opened his mouth without hesitation, speaking as though he were stating the obvious.

"I'll call you 'Yue'."

"Y-yue…? Yue, Yue…Yue."

"It means moon in another language or something. Your golden hair and red eyes made me think of the moon for some reason, I guess…"

Aziel averted his gaze in an attempt to keep his expression from twisting in disgust. He didn't feel like saying such things, but to him, there was no use in fixing something that wasn't already broken.

He already knew her by that name, and as far as he was concerned; 'Yue' was 'Yue'.

Regardless, even if he didn't originally come up with it on his own, wasn't he the one who named her just now? That fact wouldn't change.

She blinked in surprise at his words, not expecting him to have a reason behind picking the name. And though her face remained as expressionless as usual, her eyes were sparkling with joy.

"Hn…then from today onwards, I will be Yue. Thank You."

"Oh, you liked that, huh…?"

"Hn…!"

She nodded firmly; her crimson eyes gleaming.

"Good, then take this…"

He removed the black overcoat draped over his shoulders and dropped it on top of her. At present, she was stark naked, every bit of her was completely exposed.

Though it wasn't as if she needed to worry about him lusting over her to begin with.

Yue reflexively took the coat, her confusion vanishing as she realized that fact. She blushed in embarrassment, pressing the coat against her body as she looked up at Aziel, saying—

"Aziel, you pervert…"

"Right…"

He sighed, nodding as he looked around absentmindedly. He didn't bother commenting, feeling a bit of deja vu from this scene.

Yue immediately dawned the coat, and though her face she remained expressionless, happiness radiated from her every movement.

Because she was a mere 140 centimeters tall, the coat was extremely large compared to her small size. Even if she folded the sleeves back, the coat still dragged across the grown like an oversized dress.

By the time she got her hands to poke through, Aziel lowered his posture a bit, offering his hand.

"It's about that time, isn't it?"

Confused and somewhat delighted, Yue grabbed hold of it almost immediately, though not entirely understanding what he meant by those words.

However, the gentled pull she was expecting was abruptly replaced by a swift tug, quickly pulling her into his embrace. Disoriented, Yue looked up.

"Wha—"

But before she could even speak, Aziel leapt backward, avoiding the incoming 'thing' hurdling down toward them.

*CRRRRRRRSSHHHHHH!!*

A loud crash resounded throughout the room, originating from where they stood previously. The 'thing' that had been falling toward them was revealed to be a monster nearly 5 meters long, possessing four arms that all ended in razor-sharp scissors.

It had eight legs that clacked noisily as it scuttled around, while also possessing two tails, each of which ended in stingers. The closest thing it resembled was a Scorpion.

It was evidently more powerful than the monsters Aziel had faced so far, but his expression remained unchanged.

Looking down into Yue's widened eyes, he opened his mouth, voicing out his remark with a feigned accusatory tone.

"It seems you've got a stalker…"

______________________

Heyo~

I decided to post a chappy today, 3.6k words. Cheers

Feed me some power stones and I'll be satisfied. We'll all be satisfied, I promise.

Anyways, bouta go pass out n' die rq. Wish me luck.