Azel's blade didn't just strike
It wrote
The Sovereign Core behind him pulsed as he moved
Symbols etched into his movements
Lines of runes that weren't from any spellbook
They came from him
From before spells existed
The first Reaper dodged again
Its body phased sideways like static through time
But the symbols clung to it
Attached like parasites
No damage
Just words
Code shift detected
Said the Reaper
Attempting cleanse
It raised its hand and unleashed a pulse of erasure
Azel didn't back down
Instead he whispered one word
Remember
The pulse clashed with his aura
And then stopped
The Reaper staggered
Its body flickered
Its face appeared for the first time
A woman
Young
Tears in her eyes
She gasped
Where am I
Who are you
Echo and Sera stared stunned
Azel kept walking forward
His voice was steady calm sharp
They took your soul
Turned it into code
Locked it behind logic
But you were someone
Before
The second and third Reapers reacted
Their cloaks flared open
Weapons appeared
Not swords
Instruments of deletion
Blades shaped like keys
Reality cracked again
Sera stepped forward and activated the ancient runes under her skin
Her body glowed with raw forbidden geometry
She formed a ward between them and Azel
Buy him time
Echo vanished into shadow
Then split into six
All of them laughing
Reaper One fell to its knees
The girl's voice was stronger now
My name was
Yuria
She looked at Azel with fear and hope
I served under you
Didn't I
Azel nodded once
You died in my arms
But they brought your essence here
To control me
Yuria stood slowly
The cloak fell from her shoulders
And the other two Reapers halted
She raised her arm toward them
I refuse
Command rejected
Her chains shattered
The chamber shook
The Sovereign Core spun faster
And the system felt pain
One Reaper lost
One soul recovered
Azel turned to the others
Next
He pointed his blade
This time not to cut
But to rewrite