Chapter 84: Deserting-End.

Haa haa.

Azhriel gasped air like as if his lungs jad been squeezed by someone, he stared at the sky blankly as pain boomed in his body.

’Ah, i might really die, if I use the third art.’ Azhriel thought as cold wind soothed him somewhat.

Alaric was already gone. The reason he had came this early in the morning was because he wasn’t going to be able to meet him, for an unestimated time.

Thus, he had decided to teach him, the second and third art.

He had specially told him to be careful and only use it in atmost emergency as his body was yet to develop for it.

As, he drank an advanced healing potion, he thought about the reason why Solas and the other Archons had to leave.

The Deserting Event.

It was very significant and insignificant event.

Significant as the whole future kinda depends on it and insignificant because in the coming six months or something, there won’t even be a mention of it in the game.

So, as the name suggests, it was an event when Academy was vulnerable to threats. Because from today a large no of Archons would be unavailable.

Giving the demons, black spirits and the evil church a chance to spred terror and death.

From this day now on. The activity of the three will be increased.

"Ring—"

Azhriel’s smartband buzzed with a soft glow as a call flashed across the screen.

It was Elizabeth.

He answered it, pressing the side with a weary thumb, and almost immediately her excited voice burst out, bright and happy like a child on festival day.

"Azhriel, come fast! Mom and Dad are here!" she practically squealed.

Azhriel blinked.

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Oh? I’m on my way."

With a groan, he pushed himself up, still sore from the earlier training but no longer weighed down by the crushing pressure of using Second Art.

The healing potion had worked enough. Now wasn’t the time to rest.

He dusted off his clothes and headed straight for the Headmaster’s Office, where he knew Elizabeth would be.

The morning light was softer now, more golden than blue, washing over the academy grounds like a quiet blessing.

Students were just starting to stir around the campus, some heading toward training halls, others walking lazily across the stone paths.

But Azhriel moved fast. He didn’t want to keep them waiting.

When he reached the Headmaster’s building, the doors were already open. He walked through the clean, polished halls quietly until his eyes caught the scene.

Right at the end of the corridor, just outside the office...

Elizabeth ran forward, arms wide as she leapt into a hug, wrapping both of her parents tightly in her embrace.

Her long azure hair flew behind her as she almost tackled them. Her face was glowing—pure joy written in every part of her expression.

Azhriel slowed his steps.

He stood still for a moment, just watching.

There was a softness in his eyes, as he watched her. However something unreadable was also there in them.

Watching them like that—reunited, full of warmth and love—his heart twisted ever so slightly.

A question rose quietly inside him.

’If my parents were alive... would I be doing something like this? Would I have someone who would hug me like that?’

It was... a bittersweet melancholy.

A soft ache, not painful, but deep. A longing buried in the quiet corners of his heart.

His fingers curled for a moment at his sides before he shook his head gently and exhaled.

Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

He walked forward.

"Hey," he called out, voice calm and familiar.

Elizabeth turned first, her eyes lighting up even more.

Her parents followed, both shifting their gaze toward the boy who approached them with an air of grace and quiet power.

Azhriel slowed just slightly as he stopped in front of them. His eyes studying the couple.

The Aldens.

Elizabeth’s parents.

The woman—Vereshia Alden—stood tall with long silver hair tied neatly behind her. She had sharp features, yet her smile was warm. Her aura was calm, powerful, yet motherly.

She was also the Vice Principal of the academy.

Beside her was her husband, Kayden Alden.

Broad-shouldered, with short black hair and blue eyes—his expression was calm, but serious. The kind of face that had seen war, blood, and pain... and still stood strong.

Azhriel gave a small bow, polite and calm.

"It’s good to have you back, Vice Principal and Lord Kayden," Azhriel greeted respectfully, his voice calm and polite.

"Huh? Azhriel, is that really you?" Vereshia’s eyes widened as she looked at him. He was completely different from before.

Kayden rubbed his chin as he studied the boy. "I heard you were missing for six months, but... what in the world happened to you?"

"Ah... how do I even explain it? It just... happened," Azhriel replied, his tone honest but vague.

Kayden raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. "I see."

Meanwhile, Vereshia leaned closer to Elizabeth, lowering her voice.

"Wow, Eli... that’s a top-grade face right there. You’re lucky," she whispered teasingly.

Elizabeth flinched, hearing every word.

"M-Mom! It’s not like that!" she whispered back, clearly flustered.

Vereshia chuckled softly at her daughter’s flustered reaction, a hand lightly covering her mouth in amusement.

"But really, Elizabeth," she whispered again, mischief twinkling in her eyes, "if you don’t catch him, someone else will. I’ve seen enough to know how these things go."

Elizabeth puffed her cheeks slightly and turned her face away, her ears tinged red.

While Azhriel tilted his head, wondering about the conversation they were having.

"You’ve matured, than before" Kayden said after a pause. "It shows in your posture and eyes, even the way you speak now. You weren’t like this before."

"Many things happened," Azhriel replied calmly. "Some good, some... not so much."

Kayden’s expression sobered a little. "It shows kiddo. You were just an arrogant kid back then, but now you carry yourself like someone who’s walked through hell."

"Well, my training hadn’t been anything less than hell." Azhriel said with a faint smirk.

Vereshia raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Still sharp-tongued,.. but now wiser, eh."

"Maybe." Azhriel shrugged.

They chatted a bit more, then Azhriel moved out to give them some family time.

*******

On one of the Academy’s training islands—

"Hehe..." A strange laugh echoed through the quiet forest.

A lone man walked slowly beneath the tall trees, his eyes lazily scanning the area around him.

The island was full of monsters, all kinds—some crawling, some flying, and others hiding just out of sight.

This was the island scheduled to be used for the student test the next day.

The man stumbled a bit, as if he were drunk, nearly falling over before catching himself on the trunk of a nearby tree.

Grrrr.

A low growl came from behind him.

He turned slightly and saw a creature crouched in the bushes—a rodent-like beast with long limbs, sharp claws, and glowing yellow eyes. Its teeth looked like jagged daggers, ready to tear into flesh.

"Oh? A cute little rat," the man said, his face lighting up with childlike joy. "Wait... is this one on the list?" he mumbled, swinging side to side as he reached into his coat.

"Stay still for a moment, will you?" he added, waving a hand at the monster like he was talking to a pet.

Then he turned his back to it.

The rodent beast didn’t hesitate. The moment the man looked away, it pounced with a screech, aiming straight for his neck.

But it never reached him.

Screech!

Something much larger lunged out from the side. In a blink, the rodent was caught midair—and a massive jaw crunched down, biting its head clean off.

The creature that emerged from the shadows was large.

Its dark, scaled body looked like a twisted mix of snake and lizard.

Yellow eyes glowed under the trees, and long claws scratched at the ground as black smoke drifted from its mouth.

The man didn’t seem surprised. He didn’t even turned to glance back.

"You’re not on the list either," he said softly, staring up at the beast.

The monster growled low.

"Oh, let’s go snaky we are gonna search for everything in the list." The man said and moved.

As he wandered deeper into the forest, his steps slow and aimless, he finally found one of the monsters listed for the test.

A dark panther.

Its sleek black body blended into the shadows, its golden eyes glowing faintly beneath the canopy. Muscles tensed, the creature crouched low, a silent predator ready to pounce.

Without a hint of hesitation, the man took a step forward.

The panther lunged.

But just like before, it never reached him.

With a sharp crack of movement, the massive snake creature beside him lashed its tail through the air, snatching the panther mid-leap.

The beast hissed and coiled, wrapping its scaled tail tightly around the struggling panther until it couldn’t move.

"Bring it closer, Snaky," the man said with a grin.

Obeying like a trained hound, the serpent dragged the panther closer. Its glowing eyes watched silently as the man approached the restrained beast.

The man bent down, calm and casual, and placed his hand gently on the panther’s head.

Then, from the man’s hand, a strange reddish mist began to rise. It pulsed like smoke, dancing in the air before slipping into the panther’s body through its eyes, nose, ears—every opening.

The beast froze.

Its eyes lost focus, going dull and lifeless. Its body stopped struggling entirely.

The panther twitched once.

Then it was still.

"That’s done," the man muttered, standing straight as he brushed off his hands.

Behind him, the snake hissed softly, as if waiting for its next command.