Path of the Extra

"Huh?"

Azriel blinked, suddenly finding himself standing a few meters away from... his own body.

In front of him lay his original self slumped on the ground—his heart lying motionless on the floor.

He was...

Dead.

"...Annoying."

"...!"

Azriel's eyes widened as he turned to his side—and saw himself.

His older self.

The self that had dragged him into this nightmare.

The self that had killed his family.

"You...!"

Rage erupted within him, setting his very being ablaze. His fists clenched, his breaths sharp and shallow. There were too many emotions, too many conflicting feelings aimed at his other self.

The older Azriel merely glanced at him, uninterested, before shifting his gaze back to the scene before them.

Azriel gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down, and turned to look at the scene as well.

"What is this? What's happening...?"

Originally, even Azriel had been shocked.

The knowledge of how to form mana contracts, especially with the conditions, was terrifying. He had never learned something so reckless, so dangerous. He'd never even considered it—at least, that's what he thought.

His older self let out a sigh, dripping with disappointment.

"He failed the mana contract."

Azriel froze. His breath hitched, and his thoughts ground to a halt as the words sunk in.

'He failed?'

'He failed the mana contract?'

No. If he had ripped his own heart out, failing the fourth condition could mean only one thing.

Death.

Just death.

No god descending. No miracle.

Then, his older self spoke a single word—a word that made Azriel's blood freeze in his veins.

"[Redo]"

It felt like the world caved in.

The mana in the air stopped. Time itself shuddered.

Azriel didn't blink. He couldn't blink.

And yet, it felt as though he had.

He didn't understand what had happened. His mind refused to process it. It was as if his brain had rejected the moment entirely, deeming it incomprehensible.

The scene before him shifted, resetting like a cruel, otherworldly play. His original self stood upright once again, facing Arthur.

Then, as if nothing had happened, the original Azriel spoke once more, his eyes burning with unrelenting hatred.

"And if they're not? Then I die here. Simple as that. But I'm gambling, doctor. Gambling on the idea that one of those very gods is interested in me."

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Azriel—his original self—gave a chilling smile.

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"I wonder which one will answer."

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And without a moment's hesitation, he plunged his hand into his own beating heart once more.

*****

Azriel watched.

Watched as his original self once again lay on the ground... dead.

His older self grumbled.

"A failure. Again."

Azriel opened his mouth to say something, anything.

But...

He found himself unable to know what to say.

Just... what is [Redo]?

What exactly is his [Unique Skill] capable of?

Aren't they inside a memory?

What... just what is all of this?

How is it possible for him to die in a memory? How is it possible to use [Redo] on his original self?

His original self, who does not possess even the blessing of the God of Death.

What... was all of this?

His older self spoke once more.

"[Redo]"

The scene changed once again to how it was before.

His original self was alive again.

And the scene repeated itself.

Exactly as it was supposed to.

He plunged his hand into his own beating heart.

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He died.

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He failed the mana contract.

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"[Redo]"

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He plunged his hand into his own beating heart once more.

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He died.

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He failed the mana contract.

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"[Redo]"

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He died.

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He failed the mana contract.

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"[Redo]"

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He failed the mana contract.

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"[Redo]"

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"[Redo]"

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"[Redo]"

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"[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]" "[Redo]"

*****

A nightmare. Azriel saw a nightmare... a nightmare that wouldn't end. Over and over again, the nightmare repeated. And before Azriel knew it, he had lost count. He died. He died over one hundred thousand times.

And yet his other self did not stop. He kept repeating it over and over. Azriel watched. He watched, and the word [Redo] burned into his mind.

He watched as he died. He watched as he ripped his heart out. He watched as he failed the mana contract.

Azriel's eyes became dull. His emotions turned numb. He felt hollow as he watched it all unfold.

"[Redo]"

'I wonder if there is an end.'

"[Redo]"

'Is this what hell is supposed to feel like?'

"[Redo]"

'Will this continue forever?'

"[Redo]"

Perhaps it would.

Eventually, those dull eyes turned to his other self.

His other self... he mirrored Azriel's expression.

"[Redo]"

His voice was hollow.

"[Redo]"

He was the same.

'I wonder what his dream is...'

Was it the same as Azriel's?

Was he as curious as Azriel to know how all of this would end?

Perhaps it wasn't.

Then, when his other self was about to speak the words...

He froze.

His eyes widened, and Azriel furrowed his brows ever so slightly, following his gaze.

Azriel mirrored his expression once again.

A change happened.

His original self lay on the ground, dead.

His heart was next to him.

A pool of blood spread around him.

But...

That blood slowly started to seep back into him.

The heart began to rise into the air before...

It went back into his body.

The scars on his face started to disappear.

His hair became even longer.

The color black turned into something even deeper than black.

His entire body started to heal.

The wounds closed.

And the two felt it.

Their left arms started to burn.

The mark burned.

Arthur and War froze.

Arthur's eyes went wide as well.

The mana in the air stopped moving.

It froze.

And then, it all rushed toward his original self like a storm.

Then...

He opened his eyes.

And everyone saw...

The God of Death.

And the entire world stopped.