Azarel affronte les héritiers d'anciens dieux dans une arène astrale, découvre une vérité sur son propre passé… et Lyana montre un fragment de son pouvoir enfoui.
**
"Your blood remembers, even if your mind has forgotten." — The First Heir
The silence in the Astral Arena was absolute—thick, electric, and ancient. Carved from meteor-stone and floating in the void between realms, the arena hovered far above the Interdimensional Sword Academy. It was not part of the campus but rather a fragment of a forgotten battlefield—resurrected for one purpose: to host the confrontation foretold in the Book of Fates.
Azarel—still bearing the mortal name Kayn—stood at the edge of the platform, his fingers curling slowly around the hilt of his semi-awakened sword, Tenebris Eternum. The System buzzed at the edge of his mind.
[Quest Activated: Trial of the Heirs – Survive. Learn. Endure.]
[Time Limit: 20 minutes]
[Warning: Combatants possess divinely inherited bloodlines. Expect anomalies.]
Three figures materialized in flashes of cosmic runes.
The First, tall and draped in silk stitched from starlight, bore the crest of the Phoenix of the Eternal Cycle. His aura was suffocating—ancient, reverent, burning. His name: Askariel.
The Second, shrouded in silence, moved like moonlight through water. Her eyes shimmered like twin galaxies. She was the Heir of the Lunar Tribunal, known only as Selune Veyra.
The Third, expressionless, wielded a shattered greatsword humming with Void energy. Vael'Tor, last scion of the Eclipse Titans.
Azarel's heart didn't race—but something deeper stirred. His divine core—though still sealed—reacted to them.
"You smell of betrayal," Askariel said, walking slowly toward him. "But also… of divinity."
"You've awakened something," Selune murmured. "Something old. Something dangerous."
Vael'Tor said nothing—but his blade pointed at Azarel. A single tremor in the air followed, splitting a nearby meteor in half.
Combat had begun.
**
Azarel moved, faster than a mortal should. Faster than he should. The System recalibrated mid-swing.
[Skill Fusion Initiated]
["Midnight Slash" + "Void Counter" = "Astral Execution"]
His sword shimmered with violet-black runes as he met Vael'Tor's charge. Their blades collided with a cosmic boom that shattered several layers of dimensional shielding.
Pain surged through his arm. Vael'Tor's strength wasn't just physical—it was ancestral. And it was aimed to remember.
Azarel ducked, pivoted, and leapt back—only to feel heat bloom behind him.
Phoenix Fire.
He turned just in time to raise a shield of energy, but Askariel's blast scorched the edges of his robes.
"You wear that face," Askariel said, floating, "but you are not him, are you?"
Azarel didn't answer. Because he didn't know. Not fully. Not yet.
Selune danced toward him in a blur of blades and illusions. Each strike carried a memory—not his, but familiar. Like a song sung in childhood.
Then—Lyana's voice echoed in his mind.
"Don't fight what's inside you. Trust it. Trust me."
He blinked—hesitated—and in that moment, Selune's dagger touched his chest. Not a wound, but an awakening.
[Bloodline Fragment Resonance Detected]
"Primordial Seed of Destruction — 1% awakened"
"Memories... unlocking..."
And suddenly, he saw.
[FLASHBACK: The Hall of Fallen Stars, Eons Ago]
Azarel stood in the Temple of Unity, draped in war regalia, his eyes locked on Lyana's. The celestial winds howled outside, but within, only silence and destiny reigned.
"I will come back for you," he had said. "Even if the multiverse burns."
Lyana had smiled sadly, pressing a kiss against his forehead. "Then promise me, even in rebirth—you will remember me."
He had nodded. But the war came too fast. The betrayal faster. And the memory…
[PRESENT — Arena]
Azarel's eyes glowed—silver streaked with crimson. Selune stumbled back.
"I… remember," he whispered. "A fragment."
And then, his sword sang.
The arena trembled. Cracks spread across its obsidian surface.
[Skill Upgrade: Astral Execution → "Starfall Ruin"]
Azarel unleashed the attack. Vael'Tor blocked, but his blade shattered further. Askariel's wings blazed, shielding Selune.
The Primordial Heirs regrouped. And for a moment, none of them moved.
"He's not ready," Selune said. "But he's waking up."
Askariel stared at Azarel. "We will meet again, God of Ruin. The balance trembles when you breathe."
Vael'Tor simply vanished.
**
As the arena disintegrated, Azarel dropped to one knee. Blood trickled from his mouth. The System buzzed furiously.
[Trial Complete: 61% Health Remaining]
[New Title Acquired: 'Awakened God-Fragment']
[System Function 'Bloodline Forge' Unlocked]
He barely had time to react before arms caught him.
Lyana.
Draped in a moon-silver cloak, her presence was both soothing and heartbreaking. She knelt beside him, her hand on his chest.
"You fought them." Her voice trembled. "Why didn't you wait for me?"
He laughed, coughing. "I don't wait very well."
But then he paused.
Her touch—it wasn't human.
Not anymore.
[Warning: Divine Resonance Detected – Entity: L-YAN.A-3A]
[System Query: Merge Memories Now? Y/N]
He stared at her.
Her eyes shimmered. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
He accepted.
☁ Memory Merge In Progress...
[FLASHBACK: The End of the First Universe]
Lyana stood atop a world collapsing in on itself. Her hair, long and dark as the void, floated around her. Her sword—Lacrima Caeli—was embedded in Azarel's chest.
He was dying.
"You were meant to destroy everything," she whispered. "But I made you love instead."
As the universe crumbled, she kissed him. One final time.
[PRESENT]
Azarel awoke in a chamber glowing with starlight. He was healed—almost. Lyana sat nearby, humming.
He watched her in silence.
"Who... are you now?" he finally asked.
She looked up. Her expression was unreadable.
"Your wife," she said. "And the one they fear more than you."
Silence.
Until—
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED]
"The Pact of the Forgotten Marriage"
Objective: Discover the truth of your Divine Union
Bonus Objective: Reclaim the Rings of Eternity
End of Chapter 14
Cliffhanger: Lyana has access to memories that predate even Azarel's divine form. Their marriage was not just love—it was a cosmic covenant… and someone is trying to erase it from all timelines.
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