The Battle Within the Soul

"So Azriel, how about you give me all your techniques."

The endless white world inside the soul realm trembled faintly the moment those words left Anos’ mouth.

Across from him, Azriel Runious stood with an amused smile spreading slowly across his face. His crimson eyes gleamed like pools of blood beneath moonlight, filled with excitement that bordered on madness.

"Ha... Hahaha!"

Azriel suddenly laughed loudly, the sound echoing endlessly across the empty world.

"Good! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!"

The vampire emperor rolled his shoulders casually as violent pressure burst out from his body like a collapsing ocean. Even inside the soul realm, the sheer aura he released distorted the surrounding white space.

"Alright then," Azriel said with a grin. "Come."

But just as Anos tightened his grip around his massive dragon-bone broadsword, something flashed inside his mind.

A memory.

A battlefield drenched in black flames.

Azriel standing atop mountains of corpses while wielding a black spear that pierced through the heavens themselves.

Anos narrowed his golden eyes.

"Wait."

Azriel stopped mid-step.

"Hm?"

Anos looked carefully at him.

"In my visions... I saw you fighting with a spear. A black spear." His brows furrowed slightly. "But you also use twin swords, right? You seemed more compatible with swords than spears."

For a brief moment, silence lingered between them.

Then Azriel smiled.

A genuine smile this time.

"You noticed that?"

He raised one hand lazily.

The black spear in his grasp dissolved into crimson particles before disappearing entirely.

"Well... you’re not wrong," Azriel admitted. "I’m compatible with both. The spear suited war. The swords suited me."

The next moment—

Two weapons materialized in his hands.

One blade was pitch black, darker than the deepest abyss, as though it devoured even light itself.

The second blade glowed with a serene blue radiance, calm and beautiful like the endless ocean beneath moonlight.

"Their names are Chaos and Serenity."

The instant those blades appeared, the entire soul realm shivered violently.

Anos’ eyes widened slightly.

Those swords...

He remembered them immediately.

The weapon shop.

The strange swords that had practically called out to him.

"It’s them..." Anos muttered softly.

Azriel noticed the surprise on his face instantly and chuckled.

"The Chaos and Serenity you saw in that weapon shop were weakened versions," he explained calmly. "After completing their mission, they return to their weakest state and wait for the next worthy owner."

He slowly raised the twin blades.

"The ones you see now are their true forms. The peak of their existence."

The pressure released by the swords alone caused space around them to distort.

Even Anos could feel danger from them.

Real danger.

"Now that you know this," Azriel said, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly, "do you still wish to challenge me?"

Instead of fear—

Anos grinned.

The blood inside his body began boiling.

"Of course I do!"

His voice exploded through the empty world with pure excitement.

But then, his expression changed slightly.

Something suddenly came to mind.

He lowered his sword a little. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Still... I have one doubt."

Azriel tilted his head.

"You said if I die here, my current self will slowly be consumed by the will of past incarnations." Anos narrowed his eyes. "Does that happen instantly... or over time?"

Azriel blinked once.

Then he laughed.

"Hah! Don’t tell me you’re afraid of death now?"

"If you want something great," Azriel continued casually, "then you need to pay a price."

Anos let out a mocking laugh.

"Afraid?"

He shook his head slowly.

"No."

His golden eyes dimmed slightly.

"I just still have things to do in that world."

Images flashed through his mind one after another.

His mother Anna and Father Leon.

Videl’s sapphire eyes.

Lane’s smile.

Skyla clinging to his arm.

Brinda’s teasing expression.

Even Brinda’s cold face surfaced briefly in his thoughts.

Azriel quietly watched him.

Then the vampire emperor sighed softly.

"Looks like our soul somehow became a little calmer and more mature this cycle."

Anos frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Azriel stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.

"Tell me, Victor... do you think we never had families in our time?"

Anos went silent.

Azriel continued calmly.

"In every era... we loved someone. We protected someone."

His crimson eyes grew distant.

"We created families. Bonds. Kingdoms. Friendships."

The smile on his face became faint.

"And somewhere across this endless universe... remnants of those worlds still exist."

For the first time since meeting him, Azriel’s voice sounded tired.

"Do you think we never feared leaving them behind?"

Anos couldn’t answer.

Because he understood that feeling.

More than he wanted to admit.

Azriel looked upward toward the endless white sky.

"Do you know why our soul reincarnated this many times?"

Anos narrowed his eyes immediately.

"There’s a reason?"

Azriel smiled mysteriously.

"You’re still too new."

He pointed one sword toward Anos.

"You’ll learn eventually."

Then suddenly his expression changed completely.

The laziness vanished.

The monstrous warrior from the ancient era returned.

"And besides," Azriel smirked, "I didn’t drag you here to give lectures."

Anos clicked his tongue lightly.

Azriel continued.

"Don’t worry about dying here. This isn’t your real body. This place exists inside the soul itself."

He tapped his own chest.

"If you die here, nothing truly happens. You’ll simply revive after a few seconds."

Then his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Your current self being consumed by past incarnations does happen... but extremely slowly."

"How slowly?"

Azriel smirked.

"Even if you lose hundreds of thousands of times, your soul would barely be consumed by one percent."

Anos stared at him.

"One percent after hundreds of thousands of defeats?"

Azriel’s smile widened.

"Victor... one percent is still terrifyingly huge."

That answer only made Anos understand less.

There were still too many mysteries surrounding this reincarnation cycle.

Too many things he couldn’t comprehend yet.

But eventually, he stopped dwelling on it.

Because right now—

He was here for one thing.

To fight.

To grow stronger.

And to take techniques from monsters who once ruled entire eras.

Azriel noticed the change in his expression and nodded approvingly.

"That’s better."

The vampire emperor slowly raised both swords.

"Now come, Victor."

"Let’s begin."

The moment those words fell—

Anos felt excitement erupt inside him like wildfire.

That meant there was no need to hold back.

No fear of death.

No hesitation.

Only battle.

Pure battle.

His demonic aura exploded violently from his body.

Black and crimson mana surged endlessly around him like a storm.

The massive dragon-bone sword in his hand emitted a deep growl as though alive.

Anos pointed the enormous blade directly toward Azriel.

A savage grin appeared on his face.

"Very well," he declared loudly.

"Ready for my attack!"

Azriel stood there casually with both swords resting loosely in his hands.

"Such an impatient junior."

His crimson eyes gleamed dangerously.

"Well then... come at me anytime you want."

Seeing how relaxed Azriel looked irritated Anos slightly.

Even after hearing the rankings...

Even after knowing Azriel stood among the top ten incarnations...

A part of him still wanted to see it personally.

How massive was the gap between them?

How terrifying were the beings standing above Demon Lord Anos?

"Fine then," Anos growled.

Mana exploded beneath his feet.

"I’ll show you my strongest attack!"