When Athena opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Ayden’s tear-streaked face as he shook her, g desperately, “Sister, wake up! Please, sister!” Beside him, Julian sat murmuring, his voice trembling with guilt. “No… I should have been the o. I should have saved you.”

  Her body felt like it had been hurled from the heavens. ht, that’s exactly what happened, she thought wryly. With effort, she moved her numb legs and gave Julian a gentle kick. “Fool, if you had been in my pce, all three of us would be dead.”

  Seeing her alive and speaking, both boys flung themselves at her, ing her in a tight hug. Tears streamed down their faces as they cried, “Thanks to the gods of Ausra Nevaeh, you’re awake!”

  She wi the pressure but managed a teasing smile as she patted their backs. “If that fall didn’t kill me, I might die from you two squeezing the life out of me.” Athena joked.

  At her words, they hastily let go, though their expressions were still a mix of relief and lingering fear.

  “Anyway,” she began, sitting up with effort and surveying their surroundings, “who caught us in the middle of the fall? And how are they?”

  Julian, still looking shaken, replied, “It was Captain Batair. He mao catch us and cushion the fall with his mana. We were lucky.”

  As her senses returhe sounds of battle grew louder, drawitention to their surroundings. Now fully aware, Athena looked around. They were in the middle of a dense forest, surrounded by the chaotic buzz of knights battling demons. The temporary barrier erected by the knights was holding, but cracks were f, and she doubted it would st much longer.

  Her gaze shifted to the sky, where her father’s duel with the so-called demon ged on. Bdes cshed in bursts of light and shadow, their battle a fiery dispy of skill and ferocity.

  “How long was I out?” she asked.

  Ayden, his eyes still red and lips trembling, whispered, “Only a few minutes since we fell.”

  Before Athena could respond, Captain Batair approached, relief evident in his posture. “Yhness, you’re awake. How are you feeling? We healed your injuries as much as we could, but you might still feel pain and soreness.”

  Athena managed a small, reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Captain. I’m a future hunter—if I ’t hahis much pain, how I protect the Empire?”

  The captain couldn’t help but admire the brave young girl. He had witnessed her first instinct to shield her fragile brother and friend during the chaos. One day, she will make the Empire proud, he thought.

  “Captain,” Athena said, narrowing her eyes at the distant battlefield, “is it just me, or does it feel like the number of demons is decreasing?”

  Suddenly, a pierg cry echoed from the dire of her father. Athena’s heart skipped a beat, but relief quickly followed—it wasn’t her father who had cried out, but the demon. Belial was clutg his now-severed right arm, his grotesque face twisted in pain. The cry stuhe demons in the viity, their fidence visibly shaken.

  “You… A mere mortal fly mao injure me!” Belial bellowed, his voice thick with disbelief and rage.

  Alexander smirked, his swlinting with the demon’s blood. “Before you speak, you should sider—who is the fly now?”

  “Shut up!” Belial roared, his fury spiraling out of trol. “You dare to make this god shed blood? If I weren’t restricted, I’d have wiped all of you out!”

  Alexander’s voice rang out strong and unwavering. “Belial, you’re no god. You’re just a failure.”

  For the first time in his life, Belial had beeed so pathetically by a mortal. Memories of mockery from the other demon gods—calling him the weakest of their kind—flooded his mind. Now, even a mortal dared to mock him. His pride couldn’t take it any longer.

  ed by rage, Belial began ting in a guttural demon tongue, his words reverberating with dark energy. Moments ter, the sky darkened as a massive metelowing with volic fire, materialized above. The enormous ball of fme and rock began its dest, aimed squarely at Alexander and the people below.

  “Taste my power, mortal!” Belial snarled.

  Ayden stared at the ining fireball, its terrifying size blotting out the sky. He squeezed his eyes shut, his small body trembling. Maybe it’s better to die like this, he thought. Better than enduring a slow death at Father’s hands. Regret welled up inside him—regret for not making more happy memories with his sister, for not having more friends.

  Julian, oher hand, stepped in front of Athena with fierce determination. “I will always stand before you. It’s my duty, and it’s my will.”

  Athena looked at the two boys in front of her and said firmly, “Trust my father. He’s known as the ‘Demon Prince’ for a reason, so don’t be afraid. Captain Batair, the number of demons is decreasing. Find a more suitable pce where he doesn’t have to worry about us.”

  As Alexander saw the enormous fireball hurtling toward him, he khe fight was esg. It was time to summon his diviifact. Only those blessed with divine seals could wield these treasures left behind by the old gods. Alexander’s seal had beeowed by the God of Chaos, Astor. With it, he had gained Astor’s famed sword, the Bald of Chaos, a on that had cimed tless demon lives.

  The Bald of Chaos radiated a chilling and overwhelming aura. Its sheer presence made Belial’s eyes widen in disbelief. This was the first time Alexander had revealed the on, and no one had seen it or even guessed which god had blessed him. Even if witnesses reized its power, they wouldn’t truly prehend its in.

  Belial, momentarily shake a shiver crawl down his spine. “So this is the source of your strength,” he sneered, rec his posure. “But it’s useless, Prioday, you’ll die by my hand, just as Astor fell to my master.” Freed from his initial shock, Belial regained his fidence, determio prevail.

  Captain Batair, the se from afar, reized the sword’s immense power. It surpassed anything he had ever entered. Hearing the or and the e to the Bald of Chaos was shog. Astor, one of the most powerful gods, had been a harbinger of chaos otlefield. His fall was a devastating loss for heaven.

  When Alexander had first touched the Bald of Chaos, he’d felt its overwhelming power and vowed o use it unless absolutely necessary. Now, wielding it after so long, he raised the bde toward the desding fireball. His voice rang out with authority as he unleashed one of his most devastating skills: “Ten Thousand Bde Storm!”

  A chilling wind gathered at the tip of his sword, swirling into a fierce, icy storm. From her vantage point, Athena watched as her father’s swleamed, and an odd sense of familiarity stirred in her chest. She could see the storm bristling with the light of tless spectral bdes.

  As the storm surged toward the fireball, the volic fmes dimmed and began to cool. By the time the storm reached its target, the fiery mass had solidified into rock. In the moment, the storm’s ten thousand sshes reduced the enormous boulder to fine dust.

  As the battle raged on, a sudden and immense pressure desded from above. The sky turned a blood-red hue, and a chilling wind carrying the stench of blood swept through the air. Both Belial and Alexander were thrown to the ground by the overwhelming force.

  Alexaruggled, summoning every ounce of his strength to resist the crushi. He refused to kneel, stabbing the Bald of Chaos into the ground and leaning on it to keep himself upright. Despite his resolve, the pressure tore at him, making it feel as though his flesh was being stripped from his body.

  Belial, oher hand, y ft on his stomach, utterly immobilized. He couldn’t muster the strength to rise uhe immense force. Across the woods, knights, demons, and monsters alike colpsed face-first to the ground, pletely overpowered.

  Captain Batair g to the two boys, shielding them with his body as best as he could, though he too ressed against the ground. Yet, amidst all this chaos, Athena stood firm. The oppressive pressure seemed to have no effe her. Her mismatched eyes glowed with cold, otherworldly light, defiant against the darkened sky.

  A fissure suddenly tore open in the heavens, radiating a sinister aura. From it, a anding voied, shaking the very air.

  “Belial, stop this nonsense aurn. It is not yet time for this battle.”

  A sinister chuckle followed the voice. “Little princess, do you not wish to kneel before your future master?”

  Athena lifted her gaze toward the fissure, her expression cold and filled with disdain. Her voice was steady and cutting. “I’ve learned o ko those beh me. You are not qualified to be my master, you insignifit flea.”

  The voice let out an amused ugh. “Such a sharp tongue for one so young. Don’t worry, child, I will pluck it out when I make you mine.”

  Athena’s lips curled into a scoff, her voice dripping with pt. “And don’t you think yo is te for someone so insignifit? Don’t worry, I’ll crush it when I bee strong enough.”

  The voice ughed again, as though thhly eained. “Such spirit. You amuse me. I will wait for the day you grow strong enough, only to break you and mold you to my liking.”

  The ughter echoed ominously, shaking the air around them. As it subsided, the oppressive pressure began to lift. Alexander, barely rec his posure, prepared to act, but Belial didn’t wait. The demon god took flight, retreating toward the fissure.

  Before disappearing pletely, Belial’s voice resonated one final time. “Do not think this is over, mortal prince. I will return for your head.”

  With that, the fissure sealed shut, and the dark atmosphere faded. The sky cleared, and calm returo the forest, leaving the lingering tension of the enter hanging in the air.

  After a few moments of tense silehena broke it with a ent, “Well, that was iing.” Her words made everyone arouurn to her with expressions of pure fright.

  When Prince Alexander arrived, he was greeted by the sight of his knights staring at his daughter as if she were a ghost. He immediately uood their uhough Alexander himself had no qualms about trading taunts with enemies otlefield, the idea of speaking so boldly to the ruler of the Abyss was unthinkable—even for him. uzzled him more was how his daughter, a mere child, had mao stand firm against the crushing pressure that had forced even him, a veteran huo kneel.

  “Young dy, what do you think you were doing?” Alexander’s voice carried a mix of curiosity and sternness as he approached Athena.

  Hearing her father’s voice, Athena turoward him, her eyes lighting up with joy. Without hesitation, she ran to him, and Alexander enveloped her in a protective hug, as if holding something both fragile and priceless.

  “Dad,” Athena began, her voice trembling slightly as she buried her fa his chest. “I felt so unfortable when I heard that voice. It was like a thousand worms crawling under my skin. I couldn’t stand his words or his tone. I just... I wao beat him up.” Her voice softened as she added, “If it weren’t for that voice speaking to me in my mind, I don’t think I would’ve been able to stand or talk like that. Did I do something wrong?”

  Alexander gently patted her back, his voice warm and reassuring. "No, my little cupcake, you did nothing wrong," Alexander said gently. “In fact, you did something even I would hesitate to do. You were incredibly brave.”

  After a pause, Alexander’s tone grew calmer but more serious. “Who was it that spoke to you in your mind? you tell me?”

  Athena pulled back slightly to look up at her father, her brows furrowed in thought. “I don’t know,” she admitted softly. “But his voice felt so calm and f. He told me o kneel before bad things, to be brave, and to always speak my mind without fear.” She paused, her gaze distant as if searg her memories. “It felt familiar, like I’ve heard it before... but I ’t remember where.”

  Alexander’s brow furrowed slightly. The idea of someone—or something—unig with his daughter in such a uzzled him. He couldn’t think of anyone capable of such a feat, especially during the overwhelming pressure of the moment. Though the mystery uled him, he decided to set it aside for now, fog instead on the relief of having his daughter safe and sound.

  After setting the princess ba the ground Alexander hugged Ayden who looked frightened. “It’s ok Ayden, uncle is here don’t worry.” Hearing the familiar voice of his uncle Ayde out a soft whimper with tears streaming down his eyes. “I thought we were going to die.” Athena stood near her father and brother watg her brother cry like this made her feel sad. She patted his ba a soothing way.

  Witnessing the heartwarming se between Alexander and Athena made Julian ache with longing for his own father. Almost as if sensing his thoughts, a visibly panicked Frederick Morari appeared, hurrying from the dire where the massive fleet had nded earlier. His frantic eyes swept over the se until they locked on Julian, and then quickly moved to the prince.

  “Yhness, are you alright?” Frederick asked, his voice tight with .

  Alexander, now holding both Ayden and Athena’s hands, gave Frederick a reassuring look. “Yes, I’m fine. But don’t you think you should che your son?”

  As if given permission to breathe, Frederick rushed toward Julian. He pulled his son into a tight hug and anxiously looked him over from head to toe. Only after firming that Julian was unharmed did Frederick finally rex.

  “Everyone, let’s move to the fleet,” Frederick urged, his tone brisk but gehe injured need immediate treatment, and we ’t afford any further deys.”

  With a collective nod, the group boarded the fleet, leaving behind the chaos and danger of the past hours. As the jouroward Finley resumed, the weight of what had transpired lingered in their hearts. Yet, despite the uainty ahead, they pressed on—toward a fate that had been written long before any of them had even drawn their first breath.