[19]: Azazel: Who the hell is this monster and where did it come from?

Draconic Deus.

Underworld.

Territory of Grigori.

[***]

While Aiden continued his battle against Great Red, in the Underworld, specifically in Grigori, the leader of the fallen angels, Azazel, was watching the screen in front of him with a serious expression.

His sharp gaze captured the images of the Pacific Ocean transmitted by his satellites, showing every detail from the beginning of the confrontation.

Great Red had emerged in the middle of the ocean to face someone Azazel could only describe as a "monster."

The conventional satellites used by human governments were incapable of capturing anything of that magnitude, as Great Red had erected a barrier to prevent any interference.

However, that barrier only affected common humans, leaving supernatural beings free to witness the spectacle.

For humanity, the world remained as "peaceful" as always.

But in the supernatural world, this was a fascinating day: the strongest being in the world had left his home in the Dimensional Gap and appeared to handle a matter personally.

Great Red, known even by the most basic beings in the supernatural realm, had always been a figure shrouded in mystery.

Everyone knew that this dragon among dragons had no interest in mortal affairs, dedicating himself solely to wandering the Dimensional Gap and defending reality from potential invaders.

And yet, today, countless supernatural beings had seen him emerge from the void to face someone in the Pacific Ocean.

The battle between Aiden and Great Red had drawn the attention of the few capable of observing it.

Among them were those with special satellites, like Azazel, though such technology was incredibly rare due to its complexity.

Azazel, a genius in crafting magical tools and an expert in [Sacred Gears], was one of the few able to create such technology, thanks to his vast experience and knowledge.

In addition to Azazel, others like Shiva and Indra, blessed with abilities like [Clairvoyance], and beings like Rizevim, who had exceptionally skilled servants, were also following the battle's progress.

Normally, Azazel used his satellite to locate [Sacred Gear] users, either to study them or recruit them into his faction.

However, upon sensing an immense aura and magical power in the Pacific Ocean, he decided to take a look—and what he found left him stunned: Aiden.

Unaware of his name, Azazel simply called him "monster."

It was the only title he deemed appropriate to describe the colossal presence now fighting the dragon among dragons.

It wouldn't be surprising if this confrontation became famous or even trended later on Supernatural.net (the supernatural equivalent of the Internet, used by the magical and demonic world).

If Aiden managed to survive this battle, many supernatural beings would likely seek him out, because who wouldn't want such a powerful ally?

However, he also posed a risk: no one truly knew what kind of person Aiden was.

Judging by his demonstrated abilities, Aiden would easily rank among the Top 10 most powerful beings in the world, and it would be hard to argue otherwise.

If anyone dared to dispute it, the answer would be clear:

Who else can 'kill' Great Red twice?

Who else can face a being capable of manipulating the concept of dreams to make the impossible a reality?

There weren't many who could endure a fight against that dragon among dragons.

Azazel, like others, was considering recruiting Aiden to strengthen his faction, but he couldn't ignore one crucial doubt:

Would he even survive this battle?

Moreover, something deeply unsettled him about Aiden's origin.

The mere fact that Great Red had appeared out of nowhere to face him already raised suspicions.

An invader…?

From another world?

From another reality…?

"Where the hell did this monster come from?" Azazel murmured as he scratched his chin, his eyes fixed on the screen.

As he watched the battle, he had to slow down the transmission since even his satellite couldn't keep up with the pace of the fight.

That's when he saw it: Aiden swung his sword, and an ancient silver clock appeared behind him with a blue glow: [Lucifugus].

In an instant, Aiden raised his hand and cut through space itself.

Great Red responded immediately, using his power over dreams to create a barrier with the concept of "defense."

But it didn't matter.

Aiden pulled out a book radiating a purple aura: [Beelzebub], and began writing quickly.

Azazel couldn't decipher what he was inscribing, but moments later, an explosion resonated.

The barrier, supposedly indestructible, split in two, and Great Red's wings were severed with a single blow.

"What the hell...? Control over space now? He manipulates chance too?" Azazel was stunned.

"He can seal concepts... manipulate time? Change reality? Control fate, light, wind, lightning...? What else can this guy do?"

Aiden's abilities weren't just rare; the most shocking part was the ease with which he used them, as if they were no harder than breathing.

"And those armaments...? Are they something like my father's [Sacred Gears]?" Azazel let out a sigh.

"Ah... now more than ever, I want to recruit him for Grigori..."

But there was a problem.

Aiden was too powerful.

"Would he even accept? Besides, I'm not clear on what his goals are..."

Azazel was torn.

Having him as an ally would be a stroke of luck for his faction, the weakest among the three of biblical myth.

However, approaching someone like him without understanding his intentions was too big a risk.

"First, he has to survive this battle. Then I'll figure out what to do... I can't take too long because those factions will surely try to get him on their side as well."

Azazel turned his attention back to the screen.

The battle kept escalating, reaching unimaginable levels.

The barrier containing the fight nearly broke several times, but Great Red managed to repair it just in time.

"This is too much... What would happen if that barrier breaks?"

Suddenly, the door to his office opened.

Azazel turned his head and saw a young man, no older than twenty, with silver hair and casual clothing, enter.

"What's up, Azazel? Why did you call me now? Something interesting was just happening—Albion sensed a strong enemy in the human world," Vali asked, clearly annoyed.

"Tsk, that's exactly why I called you, idiot… I knew you'd head straight into the problem. The moment you sense someone strong, you go right toward them? Are you stupid? What if you suddenly die?" Azazel responded, clicking his tongue.

Luckily, he contacted him before Aiden and Great Red started their fight.

Otherwise, this battle addict would've run straight into danger.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Azazel?" Vali replied, confused by the scolding.

Although, deep down, he knew that's exactly what he'd been planning to do.

Azazel stared at him silently, a mix of helplessness and frustration on his face.

"Albion?" he finally asked.

"[What do you need, Azazel?]" A metallic voice echoed from behind Vali.

It was the Heavenly Dragon sealed within the [Sacred Gear: Divide Dividing], one of the thirteen [Longinus], weapons created by the Biblical God with the potential to kill even deities.

"White Dragon Emperor… Why the hell don't you stop this idiot? You're a damn dragon! You must know who this aura and magical power belong to, right?" Azazel directed his anger toward Albion.

Though he tried to hide it, he saw Vali as a son and couldn't bear the thought of seeing him die because of his recklessness.

"[Yes… Great Red. It's interesting that he has appeared… But anyway, I was already going to tell Vali. I don't want my host to die either. I'm not stupid. We were only planning to observe from afar]," Albion replied in his calm tone.

"What? Great Red?" Vali's eyes widened.

"Why would he leave the Dimensional Gap?" he asked, still incredulous.

"He's dealing with what I suspect is an invader from another reality or dimension," Azazel explained seriously.

"Either way, stay here and don't go anywhere. It's too dangerous."

"Is this 'invader' strong?" Vali completely ignored Azazel's warning and focused on the only thing that mattered to him.

"That's what you're worried about…?" Azazel pursed his lips in irritation.

"Anyway, I'm serious. Don't go there. If you're that curious, you can watch the battle with me."

He paused before adding: "And yes, he's quite strong. Easily in the Top 10."

Vali's eyes widened in surprise, but he moved closer to Azazel to watch the battle broadcast, which was already reaching its climax.

"Give me the recording later. I want to watch it from the beginning," he demanded, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Azazel, Vali, and Albion watched in silence as the intense battle unfolded.

Then, at a pivotal moment, Aiden shouted something at Great Red, drawing even more of his attention.

The two stopped fighting and began to… talk?

They couldn't hear what Aiden was saying, but Great Red's roars echoed clearly.

As Vali and Azazel tried to decipher what was happening, Albion remained completely silent, as if processing something unexpected.

"Huh? They stopped fighting, why?" Vali frowned in confusion.

Wasn't Aiden supposed to be an invader?

"Hey, Albion, what are they saying?" Azazel asked, noting how strange the scene was.

Just moments ago, they were fighting as if they wanted to kill each other, and now they were calmly talking.

"[…]" Albion remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Azazel insisted.

"[...It's nothing, I was just speechless for a moment]," the Heavenly Dragon finally replied.

"Speechless?"

"[Basically, Great Red is mocking that guy. The battle ended because his opponent ran out of magical power.]"

"Mocking him? Since when is the protector of this reality so… friendly with someone, especially an invader?" Azazel was baffled, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

"[...I don't know. Maybe he wasn't an invader like you assumed, or he simply has no ill intentions, and Great Red decided to let him stay. I'm just interpreting part of the conversation, but yes, it seems like he's mocking him.]"

"…So Great Red won?" Vali asked.

"I suppose… Although neither of them ended the other's life. That 'invader' had several opportunities to 'kill' Great Red, but he revived as if it were nothing. Meanwhile, Great Red couldn't eliminate the 'invader' either. Though maybe he never intended to in the first place," Azazel replied, scratching his chin while continuing to watch.

After a few moments, Great Red opened a dimensional rift and disappeared, bidding farewell to Aiden as if they were old acquaintances.

"I guess it's over… Anyway, Azazel, give me the recording from the start. Maybe it'll inspire me to become stronger," Vali requested.

Azazel looked at him seriously, but just as he was about to respond, something unexpected caught his attention.

"Ophis…?" he murmured, his eyes widening.

"—!?" Vali quickly turned to the screen.

"[—?!]" Even Albion reacted in surprise.

After Great Red left, the Infinite Dragon appeared before Aiden, leaving him completely speechless.

[***]

End of Chapter.

(•_•)

A/N:

Here's an extra chapter for you all.

It was tough to finish, but I managed, and now it's time to tackle real-life responsibilities.

This chapter is a small token of appreciation because...

2,000 people have added this book to their favorites!

Plus, there are 540 Power Stones, and I felt I needed to do something to show my gratitude.

Really, thank you all so much for the support.

Though, I want to clarify this is a special case, okay?

I won't be asking for Power Stones in exchange for extra chapters or anything like that…

I just wanted to thank you and put in a bit of extra effort to give you something special.

By the way, I'm thinking about doing an interlude chapter where Aiden's actions are discussed in an internet thread format.

Would you like to appear in it?

I could use your username to include you as a random character, or I could just make up the names myself.

What do you think?

Either way, thank you so much for continuing to read my story.

It means a lot to me!

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[Image of Ophis] ←

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