Far from the academy, beneath a massive mountain rock that shielded the ground from the open sky, a small group stood in silence.
It wasn’t raining, yet none of them dared to step beyond the stone’s shelter.
There were three of them—two men and one woman. They had been there for nearly an hour, exchanging no words since their arrival, only a brief nod in acknowledgment.
The wind whispered through the dried leaves scattered around their feet.
Then, the air shifted—subtle at first, but strong enough that everyone felt it.
The leaves began to swirl, forming a small vortex. When they finally settled, two new figures stood where the whirlwind had formed.
One was a short man, his face nearly hidden beneath an overgrown beard that made it hard to distinguish his features. Beside him stood a tall woman in a wide-brimmed hat that cast a shadow over her eyes. Her red lips, however, curved into a knowing smile.
She was the same woman who had appeared inside the dome, some days ago—the one who had given William the task of slaying her.
"You’re late, woman," said the man standing to the left. His limbs looked as though they were carved from wood, his frame thin and fragile, with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes.
"I apologize, Gerald." The woman dipped into a slight bow, and as she did, her neckline shifted just enough to show the glimpse of her cleavage, drawing an awkward blush from the younger man beside him, who quickly averted his gaze.
"Damn, knockers," the other woman muttered bluntly, smirking. "Are you planning to seduce that Child of Prophecy or something? Because if you tried, you’d probably succeed, Rovena."
Rovena’s smile deepened. "No, Mein. I’m not," she said calmly. "And besides—this body isn’t truly mine to do as I please."
The small girl with twin ponytails huffed, "Why do you always say such depressing things with a smile on your face?"
Rovena opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, another voice cut through the air.
"Do you have any explanation for what you did back then?"
The speaker was a striking young man with silver hair and piercing red eyes, his tone sharp with restrained anger. "You used Ambel for nothing. You risked our ace barrier specialist—and still failed?!"
The bearded man beside Rovena, Ambel, let out a weary sigh. "As I said, it’s fine, Zagreus."
Zagreus. That name alone carried weight.
Hades—one of the Generals who once served directly under the Devil Primogenitor. And this man, standing before them now, was the one who had inherited both the will and blood of that ancient being.
That was why he led this group.
"No, it’s *not* fine, Ambel," Zagreus growled, his crimson eyes flaring. "We were tasked with eliminating that brat as soon as possible. Talobo gave her the perfect opening by weakening the boy, and yet... she failed?"
Gerald narrowed his hollow eyes at Rovena. "Are you thinking of switching sides, perhaps?"
A heavy silence fell over them.
Rovena was the newest member among them—someone who had signed her contract with the Devil barely a few weeks ago. Their suspicion toward her was only natural.
Yet, she remained perfectly composed, her lips still curved in that same serene smile.
"Even if I wanted to," she said softly, "I couldn’t."
Zagreus scoffed, "So you would if given the chance?"
Rovena laughed, cool and sharp. "Of course. If these binds were lifted for even a minute, I’d slaughter every one of you without hesitation."
A heavy quiet fell over the forest. Then, in an instant, the pink-headed girl lunged forward. Her skin sizzled where sunlight touched it, but she didn’t stop—purple chains shot from her hands straight at Rovena.
Rovena tilted her head, untroubled, as the chains flew toward her. Just before they would have struck, they vaporized into steam and vanished.
Mein’s grin widened. She clenched her fists and the ground answered: serpent-like chains burst up, snaking toward Rovena and wrapping around her before she could react.
"Oh my," Rovena said, unruffled. "You got me there."
"You’re not absolute, after all—" Mein began, but her defiant words choked off when she felt the chains tighten. She tried to step forward and found herself bound, while Rovena stood free and untouched.
Rovena’s smile turned almost gentle. "You need to grow up first before you challenge the grown-ups."
Mein grumbled, tears welling in her eyes. "Zagreus! She’s bullying me!"
Zagreus’s gaze narrowed as he studied Rovena. A thought passed through his mind: *She’s a monster—bending reality itself. I couldn’t sense her presence the whole time. She stayed calm, like she wasn’t even alive.* Even the smallest flicker of feeling usually showed through Nyx; emotions anchored a person’s aura. But Rovena...she felt hollow beneath that smile.
"So? What’s the plan now?" Gerald asked, clearly tired of the two women’s bickering.
Zagreus exhaled and told Rovena, "Release her."
Rovena raised her hands with an innocent shrug. "It was her spell. I only twisted it back on her."
Mein wiped her cheeks, scowling. She focused, channeling her magic—and it became clear she’d had control the whole time. When she freed herself, the leader spoke up. "After this contest—Goblet or whatever—they’ll get a week’s holiday. The target will go back to his hometown. That’s when we strike."
"Why not during the tournament?" Gerald asked, frowning. "He’ll be away from the academy then."
Rovena chuckled. "Do you think you can rival Arthur?"
The name hit Gerald like ice. His face darkened, then he snapped, "I’ll attack him during the contest."
Zagreus snarled, "Don’t be a fool, Gerald. She’s right—you can’t beat Arthur."
That seemed to have elevated his anger.
His presence started to cast a long shadow in the clearing, the very air felt heavier.
His sunken eyes suddenly turned dark, bleeding red as he declared, "I am killing the target...and Arthur during the contest. And no one can stop me." And with that, the boy disappeared in a gust.
Silence befell the group for a few moments before they heard Rovena giggling, "He is quite an amusing person."
No one laughed.
Because everyone had already discerned what outcome would be of this foolishness.
Running his fingers through his hair, Zagreus said, "Ambel."
The short man gave a nod, "I understand. I will take care of him. Don’t worry."
The silver head gave a short nod and told Mein, "Keep an eye on the whole event and let me know if you find anyone worth recruiting."
Mein nodded but then, "Let me take care of that." Rovena volunteered, "I will be discreet about it."
Zagreus was surprised by the sudden request but he didn’t think much and nodded.
However, the pink head noticed the eagerness in her voice.
A slow grin stretched her lips as she thought, ’Hoho~why do I feel you don’t want me to be there?’
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.