The watcher.

The expanse of the universe stretched out before Azrael, an infinite array of billions of stars scattered across the vast cosmic canvas. Floating in space, he felt utterly alone, with no presence but his own.

Yet, amidst the solitude, he sensed an intense gaze fixed upon him—a gaze both powerful and almost imperceptible. Beyond the endless tapestry of stars, he caught a glimpse of something, of someone.

Though its eyes were covered by a blindfold, it perceived him. It perceived more than any being ever could. It began to pose questions, questions that initially eluded Azrael's comprehension but gradually began to make sense.

"I see you," it conveyed, not through spoken words, but through a deep resonance that reverberated within Azrael's being.

"You do not grasp the weight of this ancient and transcendent journey you seek to undertake," it continued.

"The obliteration of this entire universe, along with your own world, in mere seconds. Is that the power you wish to contend?"

"When the tribunal inquires about your worth, how will you respond?"

"No remedy exists for the devastation that will surely follow your failure—a devastation far beyond your current grasp."

"For now, I shall refrain from intervention, but both of you must prove yourselves deserving of the power you are destined to wield."

Azrael slowly opened his eyes, greeted by the sight of towering trees above him as he lay on the forest floor. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Ava lay nearby, her form still that of a wolf, but her eyes had returned to their bright golden hue, and her hair shimmered with a deep blue sheen.

"How long has it been since I passed out?" Azrael asked calmly.

"About a week," Ava replied.

"So, I lost," Azrael remarked, recalling the fight.

"Yeah, pretty badly," Ava said straightforwardly.

Azrael got up from where he was lying. His injuries had mostly healed, but his body still hurt a lot. His cloak was torn and worn-out.

"Thanks," Azrael said.

"I didn't help you for nothing. You owe me big time, and I made a promise," Ava said.

"A promise?" Azrael asked.

"Don't worry about it," Ava brushed off the topic.

"I sensed some people moving a couple of miles away. You should leave soon," Ava advised.

"Yeah. I need to get back to Aml City, but I don't think I can travel right now," Azrael said.

"Where's that?" Ava asked.

"I don't know exactly where we are, but it's a few hundred miles from where we fought," Azrael explained.

Ava looked at Azrael thoughtfully before saying, "Fine, hop on."

Azrael hesitated for a moment.

"Hurry up before I change my mind," Ava urged.

Azrael approached Ava slowly, feeling the ache with each step. Eventually, he climbed onto her back, holding on tightly. And with that, Ava swiftly took off, their journey beginning at remarkable speed.

Azrael and Ava maintained a silent journey, the world whizzing past them as Ava sped through the path with incredible velocity. Amidst the quietude, Azrael's mind was filled with contemplation about the recent events.

It wasn't a mere dream; it was undeniably real. He could vividly recall every sensation he experienced. This left him with numerous questions. Who or what was that entity he encountered? It possessed an existence far surpassing anything in his world.

The realization weighed heavily on Azrael. It could mean that the higher beings had taken notice of him, and it was far too premature for such attention. He was immeasurably distant from a level capable of confronting these higher beings, or whatever power that entity possessed. Fortunately, the entity didn't seem hostile.

Both Ava and Azrael pressed on with their journey, guided by Azrael's directions. Eventually, they reached Aml City after some time.

"We're here. You can get off," Ava announced.

Azrael dismounted from Ava's back, his gaze fixated on the majestic gates of the city. It served as a stark reminder of his mission failure, yet his journey had not been in vain. He now had knowledge of the recipient of the Watcher's Dagger's power.

"Send me back to the Watcher's Gate. I'm exhausted," Ava requested.

"Yeah, you can go," Azrael responded. With his words, Ava vanished without a trace.

Azrael walked through Aml City, his gaze fixated on the towering Weaponry Tower. A sense of annoyance washed over him as he realized that acquiring the mask he desired seemed increasingly unlikely. Even if, by some slim chance, the darkness veil was still unsold, he would need to undertake several more missions to gather the required funds, and that would undoubtedly take a considerable amount of time.

Undeterred, Azrael entered the tower. If there was even a glimmer of hope that the mask was still available, he would not give up easily. He was determined to complete all the necessary missions with utmost haste to secure the mask.

"Good day, sir," a man greeted him as he approached.

"What can we assist you with today, Mr. A7?" the man inquired.

"The darkness veil, is it still in stock?" Azrael asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.

"I believe it was purchased a few days ago, but if you come with me, we might find something else that-" the man began, but Azrael cut him off.

"No, it's fine. Thank you," Azrael responded before swiftly leaving the tower and making his way back home.

Azrael decided to stop by Li's office on his way home, wanting to inform him about his mission failure. Pushing open the door to the briefing room, Azrael found Li hunched over his desk, engrossed in some papers, as usual.

"Hoho, if it isn't the man himself," Li exclaimed with excitement upon noticing Azrael's arrival.

"You know, I had my doubts. I really didn't think you could pull it off, but somehow you did," Li continued, standing up from his desk.

"Pull it off? What do you mean?" Azrael asked, feeling puzzled.

"Of course, I mean the mission. Judging by your appearance, it must have been quite challenging, but you managed to accomplish it," Li replied, giving Azrael a once-over before walking over to a drawer at the side of the room.

"Was Vanuk confirmed dead?" Azrael inquired.

"Yes, he was. Along with the battlefield devastation you left behind, his body was also discovered," Li confirmed.

"Why do you ask? Were you not able to finish him off?" Li questioned, retrieving a box from the drawer.

"No, just making sure," Azrael responded, internally calling out Ava's name repeatedly but receiving no response.

"Well, here it is. After your mission was confirmed completed, I visited the weaponry tower and obtained what they said you had desired," Li revealed, opening the box to reveal the darkness veil.

Azrael's eyes widened in surprise at the sight before him.