The destination was a small coastal town.

Catchipara.

Not a catchy name—just a place that existed quietly by the sea.

The town's total population barely crossed a thousand. By the time the team arrived, more than half had already been evacuated earlier that day. Yet over three hundred civilians still remained inside their homes.

Trapped.

This mission wasn't born from the Great Hall's desire to stage a controlled exercise for its students. It arose from necessity.

So why hadn't the remaining civilians been rescued yet?

Part of the reason was manpower. Staff were stretched thin, with Death Sinks spawning across multiple locations. But there was another, far more pressing factor.

The district where the civilians were stranded lay directly opposite the plaza—the very place where the Death Sink had manifested.

If even a single demon breached the first and only line of defense, those houses would become instant hunting grounds.

"Whatever you do," William said as they sprinted through the abandoned streets, "make sure you convince them that staying inside will get them killed."

His voice carried no hesitation.

"Lie to them. Scold them. Threaten them if you have to, it doesn't matter. Just get them out of their houses so I can transfer every last one of them outside the town."

They moved fast, boots pounding against empty roads littered with debris.

Angelica glanced at him. "There are more than three hundred people. Can you really move all of them that far?"

"Don't worry about it," William replied without slowing. "If something goes wrong, they won't blame you."

Angelica scoffed inwardly. She wasn't trying to be kind, but he could at least acknowledge concern when it was shown.

DOOOOM. DOOOOM. DOOOOM.

The ground shuddered.

They skidded to a halt as a distant explosion tore through the silence, briefly illuminating the darkened sky. Flames rose at the far end of the street, painting the clouds in orange and red.

The red zone.

Only a few minutes away.

Mia swallowed hard, her nervousness impossible to hide.

Angelica had faced Death Sinks before. Fear wasn't unfamiliar, but this was different. This wasn't combat.

This was rescue.

William drew in a steady breath. "Start with the houses closest to the Sink," he ordered. "Be careful. If anything interferes with your work, light a flare, if not, just cry out loud. I will hear you."

Mia glanced at him, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, half hoping he'd step in if a Devil suddenly blocked her path.

Angelica said nothing.

She turned and sprinted toward the end of the street.

Mia followed moments later, taking the opposite lane, committing herself to the plan William had laid out during the journey.

The town of Catchipara stood silent around them—waiting to see whether salvation would arrive in time.

Clank.

Angelica pushed the door open.

Inside, a family of four was huddled together in the corner. The man of the house stood in front of them, gripping a crude spear with white-knuckled hands. It shook visibly, offering more desperation than defense.

Angelica raised both hands at once. "Easy," she said calmly. "I'm from the Great Hall. I'm here to get you out."

The man's shoulders sagged as if a weight had been torn from them. "Finally…" His voice cracked. "I thought they'd already been wiped out."

He turned to his family, pulling his wife close and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "We're saved, dear."

Though her face remained pale, she wiped away her tears. A fragile smile appeared, trembling but real.

The man scooped up their two children and turned back, only to pause.

Angelica stood frozen, her brows drawn together, eyes fixed on them with an expression that didn't quite match relief.

"I-Is something wrong?" the wife asked carefully.

Angelica blinked, then shook her head. "Please," she said quietly, "don't look anywhere else. Just look at me."

She turned and walked toward the exit.

The woman tightened her grip on her husband's shirt, and a moment later, the entire family followed her out of the house.

Outside, Angelica caught sight of Mia across the street, guiding two young men out from another building.

A faint grin tugged at Angelica's lips.

Guess you aren't that unreliable, she thought. Eh?

She glanced at the man and said, "Come. I'll take you—"

KHRIEK.

The sound tore through the street.

"Iyaah!" the woman screamed as a grotesque figure burst into view, rushing toward them. Its body was half-burned, flesh charred and split, yet it was very much alive.

Angelica clicked her tongue and snapped her steel batons into her hands.

The Devil closed in.

Across the street, Mia tensed, already shifting her stance, wondering if she should intervene.

Then—

The heavy thud of the Devil's charge abruptly vanished.

Its feet left the ground.

The creature thrashed wildly, limbs flailing, its shrieks turning shrill and panicked.

It wasn't doing this on its own.

Angelica frowned and turned her head.

High above, suspended against the pale glow of the moon, hovered a familiar figure.

A blond bastard.

The Devil was dragged higher and higher until its body began to fold in on itself, bones bending the wrong way. A sharp, agonized cry ripped from its throat.

"Don't look up," Angelica said sharply, already moving. "Follow me."

The civilians stared, eyes wide, frozen between terror and disbelief.

Though Angelica's firm voice broke the trance as the man nodded at once and ran after her, keeping his wife close as they fled down the street.

Mia did the same, guiding the civilians swiftly toward William.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?" one of the boys cried out in panic as he saw her pulling away.

The redhead stopped and looked down.

His hand was clenched tightly around hers, knuckles white.

She softened her expression and took a moment to comfort him, "Don't worry," she said gently. "You're safe now." Then she pointed upward. "See that man up there?".

"He won't let anyone lay a finger on you," Mia continued. "So stay here and wait until you're taken somewhere safe. Okay?"

They glanced at each other, fear still etched deep into their pale faces. Slowly, they lifted their heads.

Above them stood William.

Hair fluttering in the wind.

Hands tucked into his pockets.

Eyes cold, colder than the night breeze itself.

A silent guardian, watching over the town.

The boy finally loosened his grip, releasing Mia's hand and allowing her to move on toward the next house.

William observed in silence as the two girls worked without pause—door after door, family after family—pulling civilians out of the jaws of disaster.

His gaze drifted from them to the horizon.

In the distance, a crimson glow bled into the night sky, pulsing faintly with each passing moment.

"Why are they taking so long to suppress a Grade IV Sink?" he muttered.

The wind carried no answer.

But William knew—he would learn the reason soon enough.

….

[Back on the island]

Knock.

Emma, who was just about to enter the bathroom, frowned at the sound.

It was late at night, and William had already left.

Then… who could it be?

She stepped closer to the door and asked cautiously,

"Who is it?"

"It's me—Natalie." A familiar voice came from the other side.

Emma let out a quiet sigh and opened the door.

"Why are you wandering around so late instead of resting?"

The short-haired girl shrugged.

"I thought this would be a good time to talk."

As Emma stepped aside, Natalie entered the cabin.

"Besides, we're all going to be busy starting tomorrow."

Emma hummed thoughtfully.

"Did you receive a mission? What about your team?"

Natalie replied, "I got Daven on my team… and someone from Daverfall."

Emma winced.

"I hope you're spared from Daven's creepiness."

Natalie gave a wry smile.

"Unlucky me. He's even into girls like me."

Shaking her head, she pulled out what looked like a flower—its petals nearly gone, barely clinging to the bud.

"He gave this to me as a 'memorial.'"

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Just ignore him. I've heard enough about him from Dorothy to know what kind of person he is."

Dorothy always talked about Daven—often in a positive light.

But he was flawed in so many ways that even those positive stories never truly sounded positive.

"Well, in a way, it's good too,"

Emma's brows rose upon hearing it, wordlessly urging the girl to continue.

Natalie, with a grin, stated, "I saw Kevin getting jealous during dinner when Daven suggested having dinner together since we are now a team."

Emma lightly smiled, "Well, good for you."

Natalie nodded and fell silent for a few moments

Emma asked, "Anything on your mind?"

Natalie looked up and said, "I…came to tell you something specific, Emma. A warning from Kevin."

Emma frowned, "Hmm? What is it?"

Natalie looked into her eyes and said seriously, "Be wary of that guy… Brutus. Kevin used his Lie Detection on him—and as he said, Brutus is full of lies. There are a few more things Kevin didn't tell me, but even so, someone who lies as naturally as breathing can never be a good person."

Squeezing Emma's shoulder she said, "Just be careful, okay?"

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