Those who fell into it did not survive. The Nyx, the Death Sink, was far too dense.

Even the golem was swallowed by the Death Sink, a clear sign of its merciless nature.

"Kayla! Hang in there!" One of the teachers rushed to the student closest to him. She collapsed, her eyes rolling back.

THUD THUD

The Nyx was far too dense for their inexperienced aether reserves to withstand.

Their bodies had shifted into a survival state, forcing every trace of aether to resist the Nyx from corrupting their core.

Emma and Kevin, standing close to the center of this silent chaos, remained frozen in place.

This presence... it felt similar to what she had sensed when the Devil used Nana to break free. No, this was heavier than that.

Kevin staggered back, his golden armor trembling, its glow far dimmer than before.

The flame of hope that had always burned within him, no matter how dire things became, felt like it had finally gone out.

But his feet refused to move.

The sink began to churn. Threads of raw, visible Nyx split apart as it began to emerge.

But only at first glance.

Its face... wasn’t right.

Only mirth.

Everything about it was menacing.

"Isn’t this an occasion to rejoice?" the Devil spoke, its thin, unpleasant voice carrying a twisted anticipation, like someone eager to indulge in mischief.

"We can enter your domain whenever we wish, yet your dear God cannot descend to protect you?" it said, extending its arm.

Kevin’s breath hitched. He knew he would not survive even a single slash from that blade. His instincts screamed at him to retreat, yet he forced himself to step forward—

—and froze.

He touched his neck. There was no wound. No blood. And yet... he had seen it.

His head separating from his shoulders, the light fading from his eyes.

What was that... a skill?

There was no tension in its voice, no urgency. It spoke as if nothing in the world could alter the course of this battle.

Kevin gritted his teeth.

No. He could not allow that. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He begged.

The dormant flames around his body reignited, rising and swaying with violent intensity.

"Hmm? That is interesting. You seem to have a special connection with those pigeons."

Its presence did not change, but its temperament did.

Even if he could land a single strike, he would take that bastard down with him.

He lowered his stance, body coiled tight, aether surging at its absolute peak.

Emma covered her eyes as the entire gym was swallowed by a blinding light, born from a single being who had pushed past his limits to deliver a strike that might cost him everything.

But slowly, the brightness began to fade, and she could just make out the outlines of two figures, locked in place.

And if that wasn’t enough... she could still fight. If she pushed herself, if she took the risk, she might be able to draw out that form once again.

Kevin was suspended in mid-air.

A long red blade had pierced through his chest, jutting out from his back.

The monster had extended its blade mid-charge, catching him completely off guard.

"Khekhekhekhe! You mortals are so damn stupid that I don’t even need to bother making a strategy against you anymore."

Kevin... was defeated?

"Now, it’s your turn," it said, raising its sword toward Emma.

But... could she really survive against that thing?

The Devil’s grin widened. "Nice... nice. I like the silent ones more. They—"

The grin vanished.

It slowly lowered itself to the ground, silent, without a single word.

"Huh?"

Emma stood frozen, wondering if she had already died, if this was some final illusion.

And she heard his voice.

"Sorry to make you wait."

A/N:- Thanks for reading.