The world suddenly fell completely silent.
Arlan watched the swing of the blade come toward him.Not fast… yet not slow either.It was as if the distance between them had suddenly lost all meaning.
One second ago, Azazel was still standing several meters away.The next… the black blade was already right in front of his face.
Instinct and reflex took over before he could even think.Arlan raised Azure Edge as high as he could.
CLANG!!!
The impact erupted, followed by a shockwave that blasted outward in every direction. The asphalt road lifted like paper. The windows of every building nearby shattered all at once. Arlan's body was thrown backward dozens of meters, like a ragdoll kicked by a giant.
His back slammed into the body of an abandoned car parked by the roadside.CRUNCH!The metal crumpled and buckled instantly under the force.
"AGHH!"
Blood rose up and filled his mouth. Pain shot through every joint in his body. His hands shook violently, barely able to keep hold of the hilt.
But it was not the pain that made his eyes widen in shock.It was what he saw in his own hands.
Running along the length of Azure Edge… a long, clear crack had appeared.
Arlan froze.This sword was the finest weapon they had ever found and possessed. It had saved his life time and time again from countless dangers. And now… after just one single clash… it was already cracked?
It had not shattered completely, not yet.But it was enough to turn his blood cold.
Meanwhile, Azazel continued to advance, calm and unhurried.Slowly.With not the slightest hint of haste.As if the outcome of this battle had been decided long before they even faced each other. No questions, no doubts.
"Impossible…" Maya whispered, her face turning pale as a sheet."That… that wasn't even a skill… not a spell… just a regular swing…"
Arlan forced himself back onto his feet. His legs felt heavy, as if weighed down by an invisible force. His chest felt tight, his breathing shallow and difficult. His right arm had gone completely numb.
And yet… Azazel had not even truly attacked yet.What had just happened… was nothing more than a casual swing.And that one swing alone had nearly ended his life.
"BARA!!!"
A roar echoed through the air. Bara let out a low growl that vibrated through his chest. His large, powerful body shot forward in an instant. The massive shield he carried blazed with bright blue light.
Active Skill Activated: Shield Bash.
Energy gathered densely across the surface of the metal. The ground beneath his feet cracked and groaned with every step he took as he charged.
"DO NOT DARE TREAT US LIKE INSECTS!!!"
Bara threw his entire weight and strength into the collision against Azazel.
BOOOOMMM!!!
A massive explosion sent dust and gravel flying, filling the entire field of vision. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the cloud to clear.
And when the scene finally came back into view…It felt as though the blood in their veins had turned to ice.
Azazel stood still in exactly the same spot.He had not stepped back even a single centimeter.He had not shifted left or right by an inch.His black sword still hung casually at his side, its tip pointing toward the ground.
As for Bara…He remained standing upright, but his body had gone rigid and motionless. His eyes were wide with disbelief. A web of cracks had spread rapidly across the surface of his massive shield. His left arm, which had borne the full force of the impact, trembled so violently it was clearly visible even from a distance.
"Why…" Bara's voice came out weak and hoarse."Why… didn't he move back… not even one step…"
Azazel slowly raised only his left hand.The movement was simple.No extra strength. No magic. No sign of any special ability being activated.Just… one gentle push forward.
CRACK!!!
Bara's enormous frame, which weighed nearly twice that of an ordinary man, was sent flying backward like a cannonball. He crashed through the outer wall of the nearest building, crossed an empty room, and slammed into the inner wall beyond, bringing it down as well. Thick clouds of dust rose high into the air, swallowing everything in sight.
"BAAAAARAAAA!!!" Desta shouted at the top of his lungs.From beneath the pile of rubble… there came no reply at all.
"We have to help them right now!"
Maya immediately raised her staff high. A surge of mana flowed rapidly through her body and toward the tip of the wood. A large magic circle began to form and spin in the air.
Fire Spear.
The flame began to ignite and take shape… but before it could fully solidify…
CRACK!!!
The circle shattered on its own. Particles of light scattered in all directions and vanished instantly.
Maya stumbled backward, nearly falling over."What… what just happened?"
She tried to cast the spell again from scratch.Nothing happened. The energy flowed out… only to disappear without a trace. The skill had failed completely.
Maya froze in place. Ever since the system had appeared and changed the world… this was the first time she had encountered something so impossible.
Vila stepped forward to take her place. Cold sweat covered his forehead and back."Holy Sanctuary Field!"
A soft white light flared up briefly around them… only to die out just as quickly. It went out like a candle blown out by a storm.
A system warning window appeared right before their eyes:
⚠️ WARNINGDomain of «Pride» DetectedSpellcasting Efficiency: REDUCED BY 95%Mana Stability: CRITICALSpell Construction: FAILED
All the color drained from Vila's face in an instant."Ninety five percent…" His hands shook so badly he could barely hold his staff steady."That… that number is impossible…"
Maya stared at the message for a long moment… then slowly shifted her gaze toward Azazel, standing calm and unmoving in the center of the street.
They understood now.They were not just fighting an incredibly powerful enemy.They had stepped into and were struggling inside the absolute domain of this being. Everything within this area was completely governed by his will.
Azazel began to walk forward again, one slow step at a time.
Every time his foot touched the ground…THUD…The entire road shook as if struck by a small earthquake.
A second step…THUD…Fresh cracks spread out in all directions across the asphalt.
There was no burst of overflowing energy. No blinding flashes of light. But every movement he made felt as though a mountain was shifting its position, slowly yet inevitably.
Arlan gritted his teeth until his jaw ached. Every survival instinct in his head screamed at the top of its lungs:RUN. FLEE. GET AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE, NOW.
But his body grew heavier and harder to move. The closer Azazel drew, the heavier the pressure weighing down on their chests became. Until even breathing felt like trying to inhale air that had turned solid and hard as stone.
Maya eventually dropped to her knees. Vila followed suit beside her. Both gasped for air, their faces flushed red as they struggled to bear the crushing weight.
"This… this is absolute madness…" Raka muttered, gripping his twin daggers tightly. His own voice sounded shaky and uncertain."We… we haven't even gotten close yet… and we're already drained of strength…"
Azazel halted his steps at a distance just close enough for them to see him clearly. Behind the slit in his helmet, a pair of cold, silvery white lights burned brightly.
And then his voice echoed inside the minds of each of them. Not through their ears… but as if whispered directly into their consciousness and memory.
"You call yourselves… Players."His tone was flat, cold, and empty… yet thick with the sharpest, most cutting disdain.
"You feel mighty because you were granted new power.""You feel special because you were given a second chance.""You feel in control because this world was handed to you to explore."
He paused briefly. His voice dropped lower, heavier, until it seemed to vibrate deep within their bones.
"And even now… you still dare to believe… that your existence… matters?"
The pressure in the air suddenly multiplied many times over. Maya let out a muffled scream. Vila pressed both hands against his head. Desta dropped down onto one knee. Even Arlan, the strongest among them, nearly collapsed sideways.
"Pride… the thing that grows in the hearts of humans…"
Azazel slowly raised his black sword high above his head once more.
"Is always the most pitiful sin… and the easiest to destroy."
Arlan remained standing, though barely. He gripped the hilt of Azure Edge with all his might until his knuckles turned white. The long crack along the blade now widened and spread all the way down to the base. His hands were covered in blood and scrapes, stiff and aching all over. Yet he did not dare loosen his hold even a little.
There was no other choice left. If they stayed still… they would all die here and now. If they tried to fight back… they would most likely die anyway. But at least… there remained a chance, however tiny as dust… to move, to try, to make an effort.
"Raka…" Arlan's voice came out rough and strained.
Raka forced himself to turn toward him.
"We… run."