The echo of Azrael's voice hung in the air, icy and emotionless. His presence was like an invisible weight on Akihiko and the others' chests, a shadow impossible to ignore. Outside the shelter, figures from the Order of the Eternal Night were beginning to surround the place, blocking any possibility of escape.
"We have no choice," Helena muttered, adjusting her grip on her metal spear. "We have to fight."
"It's not that simple," Thalos replied, his gaze fixed on the fragment he'd found. "Azrael isn't a conventional opponent. His power affects us on a level we can't measure with physical strength."
Isabella felt a chill run down her spine. "He can erase our existence. If we stay here too long, he can make us forget ourselves."
Akihiko clenched his fists. "Then we must act quickly. If he catches us playing his game, we'll be finished."
The First Assault
The fog thickened, and the Order figures advanced like living shadows. One of the hooded figures raised his hand, and a wave of dark energy expanded, forcing the group to scatter. Helena counterattacked, throwing metal shards that pierced her opponents, but the shadows seemed to rebuild themselves as if invulnerable.
"They're not real," Kael shouted, analyzing the fluctuations with his visor. "It's a distortion of reality, part of Azrael's power."
Isabella focused and used her soul echoes to disrupt the enemies' illusory presence. "If they aren't real, then we will dissolve them into their own lie."
A roar echoed in the mist, and then a shadow larger than the others emerged. It wasn't an illusion. It was Azrael himself.
Azrael's Domain
The hooded figure raised a hand, and time seemed to slow. "History is written in the memories of men," he said, his voice resonating like a distant echo. "If I erase that memory... then it will never have existed."
Akihiko felt a sharp pain in his head. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was or why he was fighting. Images of his comrades blurred, as if they were strangers in a nightmare.
"Akihiko, hold on," Aria shouted, using her energy to create a bond between them all. "If we forget who we are, we'll lose."
Kael, with a titanic effort, activated a device that generated a disruptive shockwave. The fog that enveloped reality flickered for a moment, allowing Akihiko to regain his clarity.
"You're not going to erase what we are," Akihiko said, raising his katana. "I won't allow it."
The Counterattack
Isabella, taking advantage of Azrael's momentary weakness, channeled her soul echoes and launched a blast of resonant energy. The vibration struck Azrael directly, but instead of harming him, he seemed to vanish into thin air.
"It can't be..." Helena murmured. "It doesn't affect him!"
"It's not quite here," Thalos explained. "It's as if it exists between dimensions, between reality and oblivion. We can't attack it directly... but there is another way."
Akihiko looked at the fragment Thalos was holding. "That's part of a seal, right? Then maybe we can use it to seal him away."
Azrael, seeing that they were understanding his weakness, finally showed interest. "You... have begun to understand. But knowledge brings suffering. Are you ready to face the truth?"
Suddenly, reality fragmented, and everyone felt as if they were being pulled into an endless void. Unfamiliar voices whispered around them, fragments of memories that didn't belong to them.
A Glimpse of the Forbidden Past
For a moment, Akihiko saw a blur: a dark-haired figure standing before the Tree of Eden, his hands stained with blood. His gaze was hard, resolute, as if he knew something no one else understood.
"The Key..." he whispered. "It's him!"
Before they could react, they were forcefully brought back to reality. Azrael had disappeared, but his voice echoed in the air.
"They have seen what they were not meant to see. Now, fate will devour them."
The Consequences
The group was panting, exhausted. The fog had cleared, but the shelter was damaged and about to collapse. They couldn't stay there any longer.
Kael rubbed his temple. "What we saw... was it real?"
Thalos took a deep breath. "If it was, then we now know that The Key is directly connected to the Tree. And that means Viktor must have seen it too."
Akihiko closed his eyes for a moment, then turned to the group. "No matter what comes, we keep going. Viktor can't find him before we do."
Isabella looked into the distance, her expression grim. "Not just Viktor. If Azrael was serious, then we've awakened something far worse."
With that truth weighing heavily on them, the group left the shelter behind. The hunt for The Key had taken a new turn, and the shadow of oblivion continued to loom over every step they took.