"I need you to make the following arrangements," I said to her.
"What kind of arrangements?" she asked anxiously.
...
"Elaine, please, you need to stop and get some rest," Ace pleaded.
"I'll stop when I'm dead!" she snapped, not even sparing him a glance.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let that happen," he said, stepping closer.
"I won't let yo—" she began, before a swift chop to the back of her neck cut her off mid-sentence.
"Rest for now," Ace whispered as he caught her limp body. Gently, he carried her to her room and laid her on the bed.
…
"Understood?" I asked, handing a stack of papers to the tailed Lilith.
"Yes, Grayson," she replied with a smile, taking the documents before vanishing into the shadows.
I then made my way to the field in the old farm on Sherwood, summoning Azrael and the five remaining low-grade shadows through telepathy.
"Time for an upgrade," I muttered, watching Azrael and the five shadows land before me, bowing in unison.
With the surge in deaths caused by Anoroc, my control over the dark cloud had grown, along with the number of shadows I could create.
'I lost to Armando because I was weaker. I had the advantage in skill, but I wasn't prepared to face someone with such raw strength. I lost my composure. I need more combat experience.
Despite knowing dozens of martial arts, I've never fully applied them in a real battle. And even if I had, the difference in speed and power was overwhelming. But this time… this time will be different,' I thought to myself.
I began by merging the five low-grade shadows into one. They twisted and contorted, their forms unraveling into a formless mass. After a few steady breaths, they fused together. The resulting shadow bore the same eerie appearance as the former five, just slightly larger. All their strength, all their experiences, now lived within this single entity.
"What is your name?" I asked.
It paused, then responded in a soft voice, "No name."
"Still not enough," I muttered. "This shadow won't do."
I extended my hand and created another one thousand shadows. In a swirling torrent, I merged them into the fledgling shadow. A dense black cloud surrounded it, churning like a storm. The shadow began to absorb the cloud, drawing it into itself with a slow, steady pull.
A minute had slipped by. With graceful poise, the new shadow stepped forward, placed her right hand over her chest, and offered a subtle bow.
"Master, please… give me a name," she said, her voice now more feminine.
'A female shadow?' I wondered.
It was hard to tell—there was no flesh to examine. Yet her form was slimmer than the others. Her head was shrouded in shadow like a hood, the darkness cascading down to her thighs. It clung to her figure, outlining a curvaceous silhouette.
Only her hands and feet were exposed, revealing slim, dark bones etched with faint glowing lines. I studied her in silence. Considering the task she would be given, the role she would play…
I finally named her…
"Axelia," I said to her.
"I will cherish this name—even after death! What are your orders, Master?" she asked, her voice carrying a newfound conviction.
"Find the tailed Lilith. She will explain everything to you," I answered.
She nodded without hesitation, then ascended into the sky. Her head twisted left and right, scanning the horizon as if searching for a scent on the wind—then, suddenly, she shot off in a specific direction.
After observing Azrael's growth, I've come to realize that as my strength grew, so too did my shadows. We were connected—bound at the soul.
Shadows were fragments of the souls they guided to the afterlife. From the moment a human is born, a shadow is either assigned to them or created from a sliver of the human's soul.
A shadow absorbs a fragment of each soul they escort beyond the veil. Each soul makes it a more complete being. In the beginning, they're hollow-minded servants. Nothing more than pawns.
However, over time, they grow more conscious and learn from the lives that they watch. Each soul leaves an imprint. Each death, a lesson. Bit by bit, they grow and develop a consciousness.
Azrael has already reached that point. He's fully aware of the actions he takes, with an understanding of the consequences, whether those actions benefit or detract from my interests. Perhaps one day, he'll go even further, surpassing the limits of unconditional obedience. Whether that will be a blessing… or a curse… only time will tell.
Despite the recent surge in power, Azrael's strength remains insufficient to contend with an opponent of Armando's caliber.
'I need to create a shadow whose strength I can rely on.'
The thought crossed my mind as I immediately conjured 15,000 shadows, each scattering across the field and sky. This was the current limit of my shadow creations.
The aura of death radiated from them, expanding outward for hundreds of miles. The life forces of all living creatures—plants, animals, and humans alike—were instantly suppressed, steadily draining away.
"This will do," I spoke aloud, then began merging all 15,000 shadows into one.
A massive dark cloud shot upward, surpassing even the mesosphere. It twisted violently, like a tornado, as it consumed the life force of every living being within its proximity.
Within the depths of the swirling chaos, a pair of blue flames flickered, their glow barely visible through the storm. The blue flames looked like a pair of eyes staring right at me. Along with it came an unearthly growl, reverberating through the air.
Azrael, sensing the impending threat, instinctively summoned daggers in both hands and dropped into a defensive stance, prepared for whatever came next.
The pressure building within the vortex became unbearable. It was an unnatural force, far beyond Azrael's ability to resist. He was forced to one knee, unable to maintain his stance. Yet, with great effort, he still raised his arms, daggers gripped tightly. He pushed his body further and managed to stand back up again with great difficulty.
Though I could feel the immense pressure, it didn't affect me in the same way. The force was spread evenly across the area, excluding the space I occupied. It didn't seem to touch me in the slightest.
Suddenly, a familiar pain began to take over my body. My skin felt like it was on fire, just like how I had felt when I first received the dark cloud.
'Is this really something I can control?' I thought to myself anxiously.
Before I could contemplate further, the entire storm collapsed in on itself. The turquoise flames flickered and began to fade. The 15,000 shadows rained down from the sky one by one, taking back their forms as they fell.
"What's going on?" I muttered to myself as I watched my shadows descend to the ground.
'That shadow looked like my other consciousness, the one enduring the pain... Was it attempting to escape like this? Perhaps it's best to create something weaker than myself,' I thought.
The pressure that had weighed down on Azrael dissipated, and he regained his footing, standing tall once more. All 15,000 shadows reassembled around me as I sank into my thoughts.
'It's also possible that I simply don't possess the power to create a shadow of that magnitude—or something is restricting me from doing so?' I began to think.
I quickly withdrew 10,000 shadows back into my dark cloud, leaving 5,000 still dispersed across the field.
"Azrael, are you ready for an upgrade?" I asked.
He nodded, and I proceeded to merge the 5,000 shadows into him. A massive whirlpool of dark cloud materialized above us, resembling the one I had seen when I first created Azrael. However, this one was far larger. The process lasted for about three minutes, and by the end, Azrael was reborn.
A 7-foot shadow stood before me, his form now clad in dark armor that radiated a vibrant turquoise glow. The armor covered every inch of his body, leaving no gaps except for his glowing eyes.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
"Stronger… much stronger. This way, Master, I can be of use to you." His voice was powerful, raspy, but filled with newfound confidence.
It was strange—his armor tore apart as his mouth moved along with it. It didn't sound like his words were coming out of his mouth, but he was speaking directly into my ear.
"Alright then, show me," I said, conjuring a scythe in my left hand.
He summoned a giant greatsword—almost as tall as he was—and raised it to his shoulder.
"Master, don't hold back," he said, charging at me.
He slashed the greatsword horizontally, aiming directly at my abdomen. One would think that such a massive weapon would slow him down, but Azrael's attack came with speed and power. There was no mistaking it—his strength and agility had drastically improved.
I blocked the blow with my scythe. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, forcing me to skid back a few meters. This took me by surprise.
'If I'm not careful, I might actually get hurt,' I thought amusingly.
I retaliated, springing forward and instantly closing the gap between us. I swung my scythe upward, aiming for his chest. Azrael reacted swiftly, using his greatsword to block the strike. The force of the impact sent him flying 20 meters back.
'His reaction speed is impressive!' I thought.
He twisted his body mid-air and landed gracefully on his feet. As soon as he regained his balance, he charged back at me, sword pointed forward, slicing through the air with a fierce determination.
I quickly leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the strike, and stepped on his back.
With a sharp twist, Azrael turned and began slashing at me with astonishing speed. I blocked each blow, but not without taking a few cuts along the way.
"You rely a lot on your sword, despite having just acquired it," I said between deflecting blows.
'What causes these instincts to occur within me and my shadows? Without any training, Azrael could be considered a grandmaster swordsman. Is it the knowledge that we learned across the world or something else?' I began to think.
"Still, your attacks are too predictable. With more experience, your combat awareness and skill will catch up to your power and speed," I told Azrael.
'In the end, nothing can beat experience. His flaws are obvious,' I thought.
With that, I vanished into a thick cloud of darkness, obscuring the field and hindering Azrael's vision. I reappeared beside him and swiftly kicked his greatsword away.
"What will you do when you lose your weapon mid-fight?" I asked, reappearing in front of him. "Conjuring takes concentration. You need to understand the components of what you're creating and materialize them through the dark cloud. In the heat of battle, it would be difficult to conjure another sword. The enemy won't wait for you."
I dropped my scythe and dissipated the dark cloud, clearing the field. Azrael glanced at the greatsword now lying on the ground, but without hesitation, he raised his hands, ready to continue the fight.
I closed the distance, charging at him, and landed a punch squarely in his chest. He was pushed back several meters, but the punch only left a dent in his armor. After a while, the dent on the armor mended itself.
'I'll need to use more power to break through that armor… good!' I thought, dodging and blocking Azrael's relentless attacks.
Each punch and kick I blocked created shockwaves, and by now, the field was littered with craters. I seized one of Azrael's punches from the side and used the momentum to hurl his body to the ground.
"Basic Krav Maga self-defense technique," I remarked, a hint of satisfaction in my voice.
I focused a portion of my dark cloud into my left hand, drawing its energy. Clenching my fist, I punched down at Azrael's chest. A deafening BOOM followed as the impact left a sizable hole in his armor.
"That's enough," I said, stepping back.
"You've definitely grown much stronger. It took a little effort to break through your armor," I added as I approached him.
"I am humbled by your words, Master," Azrael replied respectfully, though his tone suggested he still felt inadequate.
"You're a mess," I said bluntly, before extending my dark cloud to him. Within moments, the armor began to reform, returning to its original state.
"Thank you, Master." Azrael bowed his head in gratitude.
"Everything seemed to be going according to plan," I mused, surveying the field. "Let's keep training for this remaining week. We've got quite the fight ahead of us!"