"What's going on?" Azzy felt confused after realizing two shocking things.
One is that he was told that he didn't reverse the time but time-traveled to time before he was even born.
Second is that he saw the black wolf alias Vajra was tied by a chain like a domestic dog and Reaper is the one that seems like its owner.
The Reaper who understood Azzy's thoughts and feelings because of their connection, explained, "this is the deal we have made, Azrael."
"What deal?" Azzy asked him. This time, he stopped letting things go on their way like last time and decides to get to the end of this matter.
"In exchange for saving his life, Vajra will serve me for eternity as my slave."
"Saving?" Azzy frowned, "didn't you say you are erasing him for breaking the rules?"
"Every rule has exceptions," Reaper replied in a straightforward face. Azzy thought how shameless this being is, twisting his words as soon as he fits.
"The moment I killed him and absorbed his soul into the Soul sealing Urn, the weapon of the King of heavens is dead," The Reaper then changed his words, creating confusion in this 12-year-old boy.
Leaving no other choice, the Reaper decides to explain everything.
"Our original deal is that I will seal his existence in my Soul Sealing Urn for eternity and destroy the Protos energy along with it and convert the remaining energy into soul power.
If I had done that, your soul power would have reached 30-40 million."
'rank-7?' Azzy's eyes widened in surprise. He actually thought of 'why not,' making the wolf whimper.
"Sorry." Azzy apologized to the wolf.
The Reaper continued, "But, I didn't expect the Protos energy has already infected your soul energy. It is impossible to remove it unless I kill you."
Azzy shuddered for a second, hearing the emotionless reply.
"That's when I decided to make an exception and let him live. Now, in exchange for being a slave to me, he will reincarnate as a spirit of Arcana and help you in taming the Protos energy.
As someone who has mastered it for hundreds of thousands of years, he is the perfect candidate for it."
"Protos energy?" Azzy asked curiously.
"It's evil energy unique to the race of Protos, who were like anthesis like us. All of us are born from the same source. The Protos race feeds on negative emotions, uses our despair to control our body." The Reaper then slammed the ground with the handle of the death scythe.
A fresh memory suddenly popped up in Azzy's mind. He saw how he went crazy after seeing illusions and hearing whispers after being affected by them.
"Of course, it goes without saying that it will increase your power…"
Azzy nodded in understanding, "I see… That's why I made a breakthrough to rank-4 and feels so much amount of soul power inside the soul orb." He touched the middle of his chest, feeling such an improvement in his strength.
Then he asked, "Then, how did I end up here?"
"Unique Soul skill: Time Travel." The Reaper replied.
"Unique?" Azzy was taken aback by his response, "Isn't that soul skills acquired only when one reaches rank-7?"
The Grim Reaper answered with a nod, "Yes. During the process of reincarnating Vajra, I had to separate his soul energy and the soul.
Your soul power was briefly increased to 10 million and you received the unique soul skill.
But, I didn't expect the protos energy that was controlling you back then, used the skill. And by the time, I completed the process, you end up in this time."
After hearing him out, Azzy felt like his head is clear but suddenly, something clicked in his mind, "Wait a second. How do I get back to my timeline, then?"
Chronos answered, "As the personification of time, I can send you at any time but as a rank-4, your body only has a 30% chance to survive. If I use your maximum strength of rank-4, I can barely teleport you two years from now.
Even if you want to bet on that 30% chance, I won't recommend it. Moreover, I don't think fate will like me to interfere."
"Huh!" Azzy felt confused by his words.
Chronos then said, "I don't think it's just because of a coincidence that Vajra appeared as your Arcana and let me follow it and become your Arcana too. And you unknowingly ended up at your adopted grandfather's house.
Fate is pointing you in some direction. I won't stand in its way. Neither would I stand in yours if you wish to use the unique soul skill and return to your present."
"Fate, huh!" Azzy mumbled, thinking of his parents. For all his life, he never got to see them, much less spending the time. He wondered whether he was time-traveled so that he can save his parents and change his childhood forever. The only thing that he doesn't know is the rules of time travel.
After a while, he asks, "what happens if I change the past?"
"It goes without saying, the original timeline that you remember will be drastically changed in many ways that you can't even imagine," Chronos answered in a calm tone as if it has nothing to do with him.
There is a long silence.
"You are right. It must be fate, indeed," Azzy broke the silence with a comment.
The Reaper who understood his thoughts, frowned, "I must warn you about the risks though.
If you don't return to your present timeline before the other you get conceived in your mother's womb, that child will be someone else as your soul stays within yourself. Your parents won't acknowledge you as their son. Do you truly wish to do this?"
As the God of time and death, he already has seen infinite futures and all of them chose only one option.
"Yes." Azzy nodded.
"It is time for you to return, Azrael."
Azzy's vision blackouts and he returns to reality as soon as he made a choice so that he can save his parents.
To know how much soul power he has, he summons the soul card.
On the Crimson-colored the image was changed.
The Black Wolf is also added to the image of the Grim Reaper, with its neck bound in a chain.
"Cool…" Azzy smiled in satisfaction as he glanced at the number written on the top left of the card. "77824"
A few hours ago before he goes through the second awakening, he only has around 2000 but now, it increased drastically. He's not only a 12-year-old but a person without any real training. If arrogant geniuses in various clans hear of it, they will cough blood in shock…
That's how he thought as he kept staring at the card for a while.
Meanwhile, at the Death clan village;
On the top of the Violet Pavilion, two women are in a battle against each other in the Arena while it was being watched by other clan elders and disciples.
A lightning dragon breaths out multiple lightning orbs towards its opponent, a silver kangaroo who repelled all of them with its punches.
"Told you, Izora. You are too early to defeat me." The woman spoke coldly as she crossed her hands to the chest.
"Sister Evelyn, the winner hasn't decided, yet." Her opponent replied, taking heavy breaths.
"Soul Skill: Punch of Fury"
The Kangaroo disappeared and gauntlets appeared on her hands. Evelyn made a punching motion to give a jab into the air.
A giant hand appeared before her and punched the lightning dragon, which crashed dozens of meters away.
"Raiga…" Izora shouted in worry as she looked at it.
"Your soul beast is in no condition to fight. You lose," Evelyn spoke as she turned around to walk away.
Walking a couple of steps, she stopped and spoke, "I told you. You are two hundred years too early to think of defeating me and snatch my position."
The clan leaders shook their heads in pity, looking at the defeated Izora.
Both of them are seven-star Arcana Masters and yet, one was defeated so badly that she can't even stand up.
Maybe, this is where experience comes in. Despite being talented, and becoming a rank-7 at the age of around 100 years, Izora was soundly defeated by her cousin who took more than 250 years to become an exalt (rank-7).
One of them was a handsome looking young man who walked forward and gave her the hand, "you fought bravely, Izora. Not many people would be able to hold for so long against Elder Evelyn."
"I don't need you to remind me that I'm never a match for her." She stood up on her feet, wiped the blood from her lips before walking away.
The man sighed as he stared at the back of his fiancée.
"Vesryn Garcia."
A voice resounded in his ears all of a sudden.
His eye widened and immediately knelt down and cupped his fists, facing the direction of the palace, "Yes, Clan head."
Followed by his tone, the other elders also knelt down with him as they too heard it.
"Come and see me. A time breach appeared in our world."
'Time breach?' Vesryn wondered what it is, like the rest of them.
All of them quickly take off the flight on the flying card and reached the palace.
After giving their greetings, the feeble looking old man said, "I sensed someone breached to our world from either the past or the future. I need you to find and bring him/her to me."
Everyone looked at each other faces, not knowing how to find one person in 3 Billion people.