The grinding sound of flesh being crushed between massive jaws continued for several long seconds after the titan’s screams had dissolved into broken echoes.
Wet splatters struck the dark crystalline floor and slid across it in uneven streaks.
Even Pope Winston, who had presided over public executions in the name of the Light God without so much as blinking, felt the weight of that atmosphere press against his lungs.
Amon watched him carefully.
"Do not give me reasons to make you my pet’s food, Winny," the demon lord Amon said in his guttural voice
"You may not know this, but whenever he sees you, his mouth starts dripping like he has been starved for a thousand years."
Amon’s words settled in Winston’s chest like cold metal and he gulped hard. He kept his back straight, though his fingers had curled into fists within his sleeves.
Amon clapped once more. The attendants retreated without a hurry carrying the half-eaten body of a Titan with them that only added to the dread Winston was feeling, and the grotesque chewing noises stopped, though the smell remained in the air.
Amon walked back toward his crystalline throne with his hands folded behind his back.
He seated himself slowly, leaning back, one leg crossing over the other casually.
"When will the weapon be completed?" Amon asked without looking at Winston.
"Six months," Winston replied, choosing his words from now on carefully.
Amon hummed in thought. "We will extract the coffin once the divine weapon is ready."
"How long will extraction take?" Winston asked.
"One month."
Winston’s restraint slipped for a moment. "One month? Where the hell have you even kept him?"
Amon’s golden eye narrowed slightly. "Go away if you cannot handle information in fragments. Do not irritate me with more questions you are not supposed to know."
Winston swallowed his anger and after giving a last glance at Amon’s figure he prepared to leave.
"And one more thing," Amon added casually.
Winston paused and looked back.
Amon’s lips curved into a grin that exposed uneven, jagged teeth.
"The last member of the Shadow Tribe has returned," he said softly. "Ruler of the eternal darkness has returned."
The name hit Winston heavier than the titan’s dying screams making his eyes widen.
***
Inside the World Academy, tension had taken on a more subtle shape.
William and Tamasya sat across from Principal Andrea inside her office. The room was warm with evening sunlight, but Andrea’s expression carried exhaustion unlike the other two who had slept like babies.
"I am sorry, Tammy," Andrea said sincerely, leaning forward over her desk. "We return from investigating human trafficking and demonic experiments, and the moment we step back into the academy, someone targets William. I should have anticipated this."
She clasped Tamasya’s hands tightly. "You must have rushed here the moment you heard."
Tamasya blinked in mild confusion. "It is fine," she said quietly.
Andrea’s brows tightened. "It seems you have stopped being dramatic about things like you always used to with me. That worries me even more, please forgive me tammy!!!"
Tamasya forced a small smile. "It really is fine."
William, seated nearby, exhaled audibly.
"Principal Andrea," he interrupted. She looked at him with a glare.
"When can I go back to my dorm?"
"It has already been repaired."
"Good. Then can we leave?"
"What is the hurry?" Andrea’s tone sharpened slightly. "First tell me why you went to the Titan Empire and abandoned your assigned mission."
William sighed. "I wanted to observe the River Tempering Festival. I enjoy exploring new cultures."
Both Andrea and Tamasya stared at him without expression.
"Since when? now?" Tamasya asked flatly as if she had heard something ridiculous.
"At least lie convincingly," Andrea added.
William shrugged. "Believe what you want."
He turned toward the window, watching the sun sink lower.
After a prolonged conversation between the two women, farewells were exchanged.
William could have left the room before, but he had waited patiently, knowing that if he left first, Tamasya would return without saying anything.
Now they stepped out together into the corridor. Golden light from the setting sun stretched along the polished floor. They walked side by side without speaking.
At the academy lobby, Tamasya’s hands were clasped tightly in front of her.
"I will return to my island," she murmured. "I need to resume unlocking the seals"
"Stay," William said not adding anything else.
She did not respond.
Silence remained the only thing between them.
William stepped closer. "Take care," he said softly in a breathy muffle.
She still did not match his gaze. William looked at her for a moment, his eyes screamed to be met but could not.
He opened the door and simply stepped outside sighing in defeat.
Behind him, Tamasya turned to look at his back before she dissolved into shadow without a sound.
William walked alone along the garden path, his thoughts shifted from Tamasya towards training, he needed to close the gap between him and his enemies. And no amount of strength was ever enough.
Suddenly two silhouettes blocked his way, They were Ethan and Maximus, they approached him from the front.
"Are you alright?" Ethan asked. "We heard someone attacked you."
"I do not remember much," William replied, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward expression. "Apparently I fainted. Lucky me i am still alive."
He gave a hollow laugh.
Maximus and Ethan looked at each other
"don’t worry the security has been tightened a hundred times around the dorm, I heard there is a special officer from the celestial army dispatched to the academy to be your bodyguard and protect you at all times" Maximus said
"Congratulations," Ethan added. "You are officially important."
William palmed his forehead. "You have to be kidding me."
[Hahaha!!!, the whole situation is so funny and stupid]
"There is nothing funny about this," William muttered internally.
Williams eyes rolled for the nth time as he finally asked the two "what are you here for?"
Both of them looked at each other and then Maximus said "you asked us what we can offer to you in return for your help right"
William’s arms crossed together and asked "and?"
"We have an answer for that" Maximus spoke in a sincere tone
He then inhaled slowly. "You are planning to eradicate demons entirely. That is not something you can accomplish alone. You need future assets. You need people who will grow into weapons. That is what we are offering."
"I have the Sinclair blood in me, I will become the next lord once I remove some obstacles, Once I become the lord of the house, I will have the capability of using all the Sinclair assets to assist you in the future, since I have a special talent, my potential is great I can raise an army of demon slaves that will cut down their own kin on my orders"
Maximus spoke with a rare confidence that Will at least had never heard him show inside the novel.
Williams expression did not change but inside he acknowledged that at least Maximus was starting to realize his future potential.
"The might be many more things I might be capable of that I don’t even realize right now, but I assure you my help would never feel wasteful to you."
Once Maximus concluded Ethan started "I am the future sword saint, my master’s motto has always been to bring peace, As the inheritor of that idea and that will, I will point my sword at everyone who bring chaos, demons are the ones who are against peace, so my sword shall point at them."
William looked at Maximus expressionlessly, Maximus had the same expression on his face.
Maximus: "you cringed too?"
William: "definitely"
Their whispers made Ethan awkward while William came forward and patted his shoulders "avoid being cheesy in the future there is already someone in my life to rot my brain."
[Hey!! I heard that !!!]
William just turned to leave but not before turning to Maximus and asking "your brother in the academy too?"
"He is in third year, right now he is out on a mission" Maximus replied at the unexpected question.
"We will start with him, he is the only one who can make the duchess vulnerable" William said before leaving the two of them to ponder about his words.