Azzy might have spent far less time with Barbara when compared to any of his friends but he trusted her as much as he trusts Gideon or Claire. It has never crossed his mind that she of all people would even think of betraying him.
As Azzy stared at her in a daze, the Reaper's voice then echoed in his head, "What will you do now, Azrael? She has turned against you."
"No, I believe that it's just the work of Protos energy." Azzy refused to accept that she chose to harm him on her own because if it is that way, then, he will be forced to kill her.
The fact that she's currently bathing in Protos energy only helped his theory. He attempted to converse with her in his own style, "Barbara, you don't know what you are doing right now. These actions of yours will have disastrous consequences."
"Ah, please stop threatening me with those empty words, will ya." Barbara didn't take his words seriously, and with great confidence, she further explained, "You are currently being captured by chains made of divine energy, which is the antithesis of Protos energy. You won't be able to get free and neither would you be able to do anything to me.
You see, while you are so busy in the tournament, I and my master studied my corrupted energy. It appears that it is none other than anti-divine energy that is hated by the Celestial Empire of Heaven.
To your bad luck, my master happened to be a descendant of a celestial being and he called in for favor with the junior gods there to capture anyone that breaches the time.
So, your future self, even if he is a demigod as you claimed it to be, will not be able to save you. And after we destroy your soul orb, you will be imprisoned for more than 14 years so that you won't be born in the future.
As a result, all of your future selves will be erased from the timeline and you will be nothing more than so-called a time remnant. You have reached rank 7 and can live for 2000 years even after you lose your soul energy. You can then live with your family forever. Their memories will stay intact. So, you can live quietly with them for as long as you like. With no powers, you aren't a threat to anyone. I'll make sure no one will be harmed.
Now, you should have understood that I know what I'm doing pretty much well."
Barbara's explanation stunned Azzy. The fact that she planned all of this only implied that she not only leaked his secret but also decided to harm him. And more than that, he could no longer see that cheerful girl from a year ago. Instead, there was a person standing in front of him with a look of indifference on her face. It was as if she was looking at a different person.
Is it really the work of Protos energy or did he make a bad judgment regarding her personality? He wondered.
The Reaper then interrupted his thoughts once again and gave him clarity on the matter, "Azrael, as I have already told you, she's lost. And your suspicion is also correct. She was influenced by Protos energy. But then again, it should be obvious.
After all, unlike you, she has nothing to protect her mind against the Protos energy. Now, she reached a point of no return. Had you been close to her, there might be a slim chance of convincing her with words but you are not. You have no choice but to free her soul. Or else, she'll not only harm herself but also the others around her."
"But, there must be a way to save her, right?" Azzy felt a bit guilty upon confirming that it is the work of Protos energy, which came from him. In his view, he was indirectly responsible for her actions against him. Hence, there was no hatred instead, he was still looking for a solution to get that cheerful girl back.
The Reaper answered, "There's only one way. Destroy her soul orb. Once you do that, she will be free from the influence of Protos energy but at the same time…"
"She will lead a life of a mortal, the same thing she earlier desired for me." Azzy finished it for him.
Taking a deep breath, he then looked at his cousin and said, "Barbara, I'll ask again. Release me on your own and come with me. I'll overlook your actions."
"It seems that you still don't understand your situation, cousin." Barbara was under the impression that Azzy was trying to buy his time to escape from the chains. She was confident that he wouldn't be able to. So, there's no sense of hurry in her. "Since I have already made my move, there's no going back from here. You have no choice but to accept your fate."
"So, what's your decision?" The Reaper put pressure on his mind once again to do the right thing.
Feeling that Barbara would regret it once he gets free from the divine chains, he asked the Reaper to let the Protos energy take over his body for a moment.
However, before the Reaper unsealed it completely, a figure materialized beside Barbara. She cupped her fists and greeted him, "Master!"
The old man nodded to her and then looked at Azzy, "So, you are the time traveler of the Death Clan, huh! I heard a lot about you. It's a pity that an extremely talented individual like you is going to disappear but then again, you reap what you sow. Today, my prized disciple, Vann will finally get his justice."
"Senior brother?" Barbara was visibly surprised by his statement. This was a new thing for her. She asked right away, "Master, was Azrael responsible for Prince Vann's missing?"
Furrowing his brows, the old man shook his head, "He didn't go missing. He was killed by a Galarian King. It happened because this great guy here decided not to report to authorities and let it freely roam for several months in the disguise of the fifth prince of Northern Qudour, Leonard Light."
"Really?" While Barbara started to feel less guilty about her betrayal as her cousin indirectly aided the murder of her senior brother, the old man then shifted his attention to Azzy and continued, "As the owner of a Celestial grade Arcana, I'm sure that you have known about its existence, all along."
Azzy stared at the two of them in silence. He realized that there's no use in trying to reason with these people. He decided to beat them first and then talk.
But, how can he defeat someone, who is as strong as his great grandfather and additionally possess divine energy?
Azzy only knows one way and he implemented it right away.
As he closed his eyes, mystical markings started appearing on his forehead, startling Barbara and her master.
"What is he doing?" asked Barbara.
The old man was also in wonder but he wasn't alarmed as his disciple, "I have never seen those symbols but it appeared that someone imparted a life-saving technique inside him. He was probably activating it. But, there's nothing to worry about. My divine chains cannot be broken by even a demigod. So, the chances of the kid escaping are… No way…"
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