The council mbers were stunned beyond belief.
The tremors from that last attack had yet to settle—and neither had the sinking weight in their chests.
That level of destruction...
It was far beyond anything they had ever imagined possible from an eighteen-year-old boy.
"That much power... in the hands of a teenager?" soone whispered.
"...he could’ve erased the entire island if he wanted," another murmured.
"That bridge was reinforced—and it crumpled like a castle of cards."
Many still sat with their lips parted, unable to fully grasp the scene they had just witnessed. The absurdity of it felt unreal, almost impossible to accept.
If not for the tremors they felt from so far beyond the main site, they might have dismissed the entire thing as an illusion.
But no... the destruction was real.
Dolla clenched her fists at her sides, eyes narrowing at the anomaly she had been underestimating until now.
It wasn’t that she ever thought William Delimore was weak—never that. But she had not, even in her boldest estimations, believed he was capable of this.
A boy who could topple a fort.
Annihilate battalions.
Shift the tide of wars.
Disrupt the entire balance of power with a single spell.
In that mont, she wasn’t thinking as the administrator of this contest, but as a council mber responsible for preserving peace and stability.
William could beco either—a towering pillar of strength for their world... or, should he stray even slightly from the right path, one of their most terrifying enemies.
He was still just a young adult—powerful, yes, but with a mind far too fragile, far too malleable. Soone like him could be guided... or manipulated with frightening ease.
’No... I can’t allow that to happen.
William needs to be brought into the Great Hall. I must speak to the Headmaster and have him transferred here the mont this contest ends.’
....
Dolla’s suspicion wasn’t wrong.
Elsewhere, on a different part of the island, a man who had witnessed the destruction with his own eyes stood utterly astonished.
He watched the collapsing bridge, arms crossed, and nodded slowly. "That’s... impressive, don’t you think, Ambel?"
"Indeed, Sir Gerald," replied the short man beside him—the sa one who had erected the barrier around the island during Talobo’s attack.
Gerald was the very person who had insisted on eliminating the child of prophecy—Kevin—during the contest, despite the fierce objections from the others.
Until now, he had found no weakness, no gap in the island’s security that he could exploit to take Kevin down.
When the True Devil appeared on the previous island, Gerald thought the opportunity had finally arrived. The child of prophecy was already on the ground before the real battle even began. All Gerald needed was one strike—one clean thrust through the heart—and the ga would be over. No trail, no evidence, no more prophecy standing in their path.
But just as he prepared to strike, Ambel delivered news that ruined everything: the mont the True Devil appeared, the island’s security had tightened drastically.
They might have pretended to throw the students into a tiger’s den, but they were still protecting them.
Ambel had advised patience. With the seven seated mbers absent, Gerald would face no true opposition once he chose to make his move—no one capable of overwhelming him.
But that didn’t an he could act recklessly.
He needed the perfect mont. One precise window to strike down the being destined to beco a towering thorn in their Lord’s path.
Yet now, as Gerald observed the aftermath of the devastation, his focus shifted.
"Isn’t that kid... a bigger threat, Ambel?"
The round man narrowed his eyes, studying the boy who had beco an ever-growing obstacle—destroying Talobo’s creation once before, and now demonstrating power that defied reason.
"He is an anomaly, Sir," Ambel said at last. "I reviewed his records... and he intrigued ."
Gerald’s brows lifted. "Hmm... soone actually caught your attention? Did you figure out his potential?"
Ambel shook his head. "Not because of that... but because of how abruptly his power surged." He exhaled slowly before continuing, "Before entering the academy, he was known as the fearless son of Count Delimore. But once he joined, he suddenly grew weak—acting out of character—and built himself an ugly reputation. And then out of nowhere, he gained enough strength to defeat the child of prophecy without even lifting a finger."
Gerald humd, intrigued but still unsure why Ambel found this so unusual.
But Ambel knew exactly why the boy troubled him. The difference between William’s behavior over the past two years and the version of him now was night and day—too sudden, too drastic.
Power didn’t just spike like that. Not naturally. Not cleanly.
No... it was anything but normal. In fact, it was deeply suspicious.
"I’m shocked they haven’t suspected him of being a corrupted one," Ambel muttered. "He is definitely soone worth keeping an eye on."
Gerald nodded. "Exactly. If we can recruit him and bind him to a contract, he could beco an invaluable asset in the future."
With strength like that, William could easily form a pact with a ranked devil—one that would amplify his abilities to terrifying, unimaginable heights.
But Ambel’s mind was drifting sowhere else entirely.
He wasn’t thinking of contracts.
He wasn’t thinking of power.
He was thinking of the anomaly.
’Why... despite all that strength, does he not leak even a trace of aether? What kind of specin is he?’
....
"Haah... we’re finally here." Gloria let out a long, exhausted sigh as their feet touched the ground near the entrance of Island Beta.
They had crossed the bridge Emma conjured with her sorcery—because if not for that, they never would’ve made it here after the sheer devastation a certain *soone* had unleashed.
"Don’t relax just yet. We still have quite a distance to cover before we reach the Haven," Emma reminded her.
According to the map, they still needed to walk for about ten minutes before reaching the main compound of the island—where the Haven stood.
Their destination.
William looked down and found the little girl clinging to Emma’s skirt, her tiny fingers curled tight, her wide eyes fixed on the doors ahead.
He exhaled softly... of course she understood what was coming.
He knelt in front of her and asked,
[Are you scared?]
Nana jolted a little, then slowly turned toward him.
She shook her head—small, hesitant—and said,
[That lady told ... I will et my parents soon once I die.]
William’s brow furrowed sharply.
*Who the hell says sothing like that to a child?!*
His fists tightened at his sides—only for another fragile thought to drift toward him.
[Big brother... would it hurt?]
He lifted his gaze and found her eyes shimring, tears trembling at the edge.
[Does it hurt... when soone dies?]
William’s heart sank like a stone.
A lump rose in his throat, stealing his breath.
He pulled the little girl into his arms, holding her as tightly and gently as he could.
If only there was a way.
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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