"Where are we going?" Kevin asked in panic as he sprinted alongside Natalie and Emma, with Brutus just a few steps behind.

Guinevere answered curtly, "An emergency. Just follow what I say for now." She didn't explain what had happened, but the tension etched into her expression made it clear that something grave had occurred.

When they passed through the island gates, a rail coach was already waiting for them.

As they began boarding, Emma moved closer to Guinevere and asked in a low voice, "Tell me this isn't related to the mission William was sent on."

Guinevere stayed silent.

That silence was answer enough.

Emma clenched her teeth and stepped into the carriage. Inside, she noticed several other Hall members already seated.

She took a seat beside Natalie and murmured inwardly, William… I swear, if you get yourself injured once again…

Even as the words formed, she knew better.

No matter how fast they moved, William had already thrown himself into danger.

….

Angelica gritted her teeth in frustration as she stood at the exact spot where William was supposed to pick up the civilians and carry them to safety.

But he was nowhere to be seen.

More than fifty civilians had already been gathered, huddled together in fear, and still, he hadn't shown up.

Mia looked equally unsettled as she glanced around, her fingers twitching at her side before she asked, "What do you think? Where could he have gone?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Angelica snapped. "God, how fucking irresponsible can he be?" Her tone made it clear she was far beyond simple annoyance.

If they stayed there any longer with so many people clustered together, the Devils wouldn't even need to hunt. It was as if Mia and Angelica had laid out a buffet and invited them in.

Just then, someone from the crowd stepped forward and spoke timidly, "Umm… are you perhaps looking for the one who was floating here earlier?" It was a small girl, clutching her toy tightly against her chest.

Mia nodded immediately. "Yes. He has golden hair. Did you see where he went?"

The girl nodded and pointed in a direction. "He went that way."

"…"

It was the red zone.

Angelica's brow twitched. "Did he seriously abandon his duty just to go fight some Devils?"

Mia frowned and shook her head. "I don't believe so, Miss Angelica." Her response was immediate, without the slightest hesitation. "He may be a brilliant warrior, but he isn't someone who forgets his role and rushes into battle like a maniac. Something must have happened."

Angelica scoffed, but the thought lingered.

Something about this situation was undeniably wrong.

If the Great Hall was involved, a mere Grade IV Death Sink should have been dealt with by now. At the very least, it should have been contained.

Yet not only was it still active, Devils were breaching the defenses and spilling into the streets.

That alone made her blood run cold.

Then—

"I'll go and take a look," Angelica said, already shifting her weight to sprint.

"Wait!" Mia called out in panic. "What should I do?"

Angelica paused, considering for a brief moment before replying, "I know it's dangerous, but we can't have them standing here any longer. You'll have to escort them to the Haven on foot."

Mia's eyes widened, fear flashing across her face, but before she could protest, Angelica placed a firm hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"I know you can do this, Mia," she said, her voice steady and resolute. "You lack self-confidence, that's all. Trust me, you're capable. You didn't get here by chance—you surpassed your peers to stand here today. Don't let your insecurities drag you down, alright?"

Leaving those words behind, Angelica turned and sprinted straight toward the red zone.

Mia stood there for a few seconds… then a memory surfaced, clear and vivid—the last words she had heard from one of her team members, Dorothy.

'You were chosen over me not because of your unique skill, but because of your courage, Mia. So trust yourself and make our group proud.'

Mia exhaled a sigh and turned towards the civilians.

They were scared, anxious and uncertain what would happen.

Taking a deep breath, she called out, "Listen everyone…"

….

Angelica sprinted through the streets, boots pounding against the stone as she charged toward the central plaza, the source of the destruction echoing relentlessly through the city.

A vile sensation crawled up her spine as she drew closer. Thick Nyx polluted the air, heavy and suffocating, clinging to her skin with every breath.

She suppressed the bile rising in her throat and slowed to a halt at the end of the street.

What lay before her defied reason.

"Huh…?"

William floated there, suspended in the air, a lazy smirk etched onto his face as he confronted tens upon tens of Devils all at once.

They slithered out of the crack relentlessly, screeching as they lunged toward him—only to be met with silent annihilation. An invisible force crushed some into the ground, bodies flattening like insects. Others were cleaved cleanly in half, while a few were simply pulled apart, their limbs torn away as casually as ripping a fruit open.

Her breath hitched when she noticed something far more terrifying than the Devils themselves.

Figures wearing the uniform of the Great Hall lay scattered in the corners of the plaza, motionless, their bodies twisted unnaturally.

Possibly dead.

What… in the world…

"I-Is he with you?" someone suddenly asked.

Angelica spun on her heels to see a young man limping toward her. His left eye was swollen shut, one arm cradled protectively in the other, his body riddled with countless wounds that told a story of prolonged, desperate combat.

"Don't tell me…" Angelica asked hesitantly, dread seeping into her voice, "you've been fighting those things this whole time?"

The boy gave a slow nod. "My team and I tried to contain the threat, but… if not for your friend, something truly disastrous would've happened."

Angelica felt her throat tighten. "Did the Great Hall send you as reinforcement?"

The boy didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

Angelica gritted her teeth. "How absurdly foolish can they be?!" Her fist trembled at her side as she turned her gaze toward the Death Sink.

Only now did she understand why William had abandoned his post and come here. If he hadn't, those empty streets would already be drenched in blood, littered with corpses, chaos spreading unchecked.

Just then—

"Huh?"

The boy standing beside her suddenly collapsed onto his back.

Angelica didn't catch him. She couldn't.

The shock rooted her in place, her eyes still locked on the horror unfolding before her.

The Devils pouring out of the Death Sink suddenly shrieked.

Not in fury—but in terror.

One by one, their bodies were yanked backward, dragged against the ground as if caught by an unseen tide. Claws scraped uselessly against stone, limbs flailed, screams clawed at the air, yet none could resist.

They were pulled back toward the crack they had just escaped from, crushed together, disappearing into the writhing darkness.

Then—

The Death Sink moved.

The crack split wider with a deafening groan, the ground screaming as reality itself was forced apart. Two enormous hands burst out from within—slick with black ichor, fingers too long, joints bent the wrong way. Each hand slammed into the street, pulverizing stone as they dug in and pulled.

The fissure widened.

And something began to crawl out.

A massive, grotesque form emerged, its body a malformed convergence of muscle, plated flesh, and pulsing Nyx. Its torso scraped against the edges of the crack, ripping chunks of the street free as it forced itself upward. Multiple eyes opened across its body, blinking independently, leaking dark fluid as they locked onto the world above.

Its mouth—if it could be called that—split open vertically, rows of uneven teeth grinding together as a wet, suffocating roar shook the plaza.

The air thickened, pressure crashing down like a physical weight.

William's grin faltered only for a chuckle to replace it, "Finally. A ranked one!"

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