A congested mass of dark miasma began to build up in the skies above.
The small traces of miasma quickly and effectively expanded at speeds that had already surpassed the speed of sound one hundredfold!
Azmond had completely forgotten about the animosity that certain beings beyond the heavens still had for him
Nevertheless, it was already too late for him to realize that now
The large mass of miasma had already reached its peak. And the result of it reaching such a stage was a lightning bolt the size of a small asteroid beginning to form.
A strike of such immense magnitude that it could devastate everything within a ten thousand-mile radius was abruptly launched in Azmond's direction.
By the time he realized what was coming for him, he had a decision to make
Either he deflects the strike and comes out with a few surface scratches... An action that would ultimately lead to the absolute destruction of the giant spiritual stone garden and everything he cared about
Or he could take the strike head-on and most likely die
Was this even a question?
The colossal congregation of lighting miasma came spiraling down at speeds that bordered on absurdity.
Its target being none other than a humana human that couldn't care less about the cataclysmic strike from the heavens above coming his way
'... I have no chance of surviving this strike.' The stalwart figure of the man attempting to defy the heavens thought to himself with a solemn expression.
He didn't want to die! But it was what it was
He would rather it be his life that fades away... than that of his Ice Roll
"... I really wanted to go out and explore this brand new world of mine. But, it appears I won't have that chance anymore" A melancholic voice rang out as Azmond's impending death was mere milliseconds away.
"And what of my Little Ice Flower? What will become of her when I fade away?" His solemn expression morphed into a gentle, loving one as he took one last look at the distant silhouette of Crystalline.
"She is a strong woman, so I'm sure she can handle anything thrown her way" A voice on the edge of collapse sounded as Azmond mustered out the kindest smile he could.
Gazing directly at the sleeping Ice Queen below, his eyes never seemed to leave her
Even as his lone figure faded from existence
....
There was no explosion, no aftermath, no remnant energies that could've made it past Azmond's impermeable body.
He had absorbed everything within the lightning strike the instant it made contact. He wouldn't allow even the slightest chance of anything making it past him...
The only thing that could be heard was the deafening silence that consumed the world
A being with talent unlike any other perished this day...
A man who had yet to even begin etching his marks into the crevices of history...
A man who's only wish was to become strong enough to protect himself and his loved one's..
A man like that was no more
The huge gap in space that was left behind where such a man once stood was the only thing remaining of his existence.
An existence that, once gone, didn't just affect him
A certain beautiful girl with long silky black hair and once bright green eyes was left alone. Tear marks endlessly streamed down her eyes like a broken damn.
Something shattered within her the moment Azmond disappeared
Something that she would never be able to mend back together
She was undoubtedly still in a deep sleep. And it shouldn't have been possible for her to be aware of Azmond's death. But she was
It probably came out as nothing more than a terrible nightmare for the young heiress. A nightmare that would soon become her reality
...
The silence was never ending, as even the birds in the sky seemed to stop their chirping The animals below silenced their incessant chatter
The world lost something that day. Something truly-
*Gasp!*
And then it happened
The void that was left in Azmond's place was filled once more, as a fully nude figure appeared out of nowhere.
A figure with long raven black hair and deep blue eyes. A figure that already reached a level of handsomeness that would go uncontested. A figure that couldn't be allowed to die just yet
After all, his story was just beginning.
.....
|Welcome Host!|
A robotic voice with a rich British accent sounded out.
"Who said that!?" Azmond immediately went on guard as he activated his defenses and wearily scanned the area around him.
He turned his head in every direction, looking for the source of that robotic voice. But, no matter where his eyes landed, he could see no other living being.
"Show yourself!" He commanded in a tone that allowed no refusal.
He did not have time to play games with some mysterious figure right now. The unbelievable phenomenon that just occurred was his first and foremost concern.
'I died. I know that much, for sure...'
'So why...?'
'Why am I still alive...?' An irrefutably puzzled expression crept up his face.
He couldn't even begin to comprehend what could've possibly changed his fate so drastically...
He was brought out of his reverie when an eerily familiar voice began to echo out...
|Oh. Welcome wouldn't be quite right, huh?|
The robotic British voice seemed almost confused over its own words.
Azmond was going to demand the voice show itself one more time. But before he could, the robotic voice sounded out first.
|It appears I've shown up a bit late, Host. But, worry not, for I am here now! Your vastly superior and exclusive System! You may praise my existence now!|
The emotionless robotic voice seemed to contain a hint of Narcissism?
"..."
A sudden pause followed as the robotic voice appeared to recall something important.
|Look in front of you, Host.|
Azmond had thoroughly analyzed every single direction besides the most obvious one
His head abruptly turned at an inhuman speed as his piercing, deep blue eyes caught a glimpse of something incomprehensible.
"Is that a f*cking window screen?!?"
He exclaimed with eyes left wide open in pure astonishment at the nonsensical sight he saw before him. His expression was akin to that of a man who just had his entire reality flipped upside down.
A blue window screen, like the ones Azmond had heard about in video games, was right in front of his eyes.
'... What is this Sh*t?!'