Maximus ran with everything his body could muster, his breathing was uneven, and his chest was burning with every step.
His trembling hands clenched and unclenched as panic flooded his mind.
His eyes were moist, not from exhaustion alone, but from the fear that something precious was slipping away faster than he could chase it.
He sprinted toward the massive gates of the academy as his thoughts were in complete chaos.
He repeated the same idea again and again in his head. He had to leave, regardless of what it cost him, because if he stayed even a moment longer, everything would be lost.
The towering gates came into view, their enormous frames casting long shadows over the ground.
For a brief moment, the hope to just get an escape from the academy surged in his heart.
He pushed himself harder, ignoring the pain screaming through his tired muscles as he closed the distance.
Just as his foot crossed the threshold, a large and muscular hand slammed into his chest and picked him up from his feet and then sent him flying backwards without mercy.
A Titan in a security uniform stood in front of the gate, his towering figure blocking the exit as his sharp eyes narrowed.
With a single motion, he tossed Maximus aside and spoke in a firm, unyielding voice.
"No unauthorised exit allowed."
Maximus hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air out of his lungs, but he forced himself upright almost instantly.
His body shook as he scrambled forward and dropped to his knees in front of the Titan.
"Please let me go," Maximus cried out, his voice cracked as desperation poured out of him. "I have to save someone, I have to save her."
The Titan was surprised, his expression changed from strictness to dumbfounded as he looked down at the kneeling student.
In all his years of duty, he had never seen a student of the World Academy behave in such a broken and desperate manner.
Before the Titan could reprimand the human in front of him about what to do next, hurried footsteps echoed behind Maximus as several familiar figures rushed toward the scene.
Leila, Kara, Katherine, and Seraphine arrived, and their expressions were filled with shock and confusion as they looked at Maximus bawling on the ground.
Desmond, Ethan, and Galeion arrived a second later, but they held the same expressions.
Without hesitation, Ethan and Galeion rushed forward and grabbed Maximus by the arms, lifting him up before he could collapse again.
"Buddy, let's calm down, okay," Ethan said in a gentle tone, trying to steady him.
Maximus thrashed violently, his strength fuelled by panic rather than reason.
"No, go away," he shouted as he struggled against their grip. "Leave me alone."
Katherine crossed her arms and looked down at him with an unimpressed expression. "Tsk, I didn't even throw tantrums like this when I was a kid."
The Titan security officer glanced at the group, then returned to his post after a moment of hesitation.
Seeing Prince Galeion among them, respect and reverence filled his eyes, and he decided not to interfere further, telling himself that it was nothing more than minor student drama.
Maximus continued resisting with all his strength, his voice sounded hoarse as he screamed, "Fuck!!!, leave me alone!!!."
In his desperation, he took out his sword from the spatial storage, pulling it halfway out as if he intended to fight his own classmates.
Ethan and Galeion stiffened in panic, their grip tightened instinctively as they got ready to defend themselves.
But before anything could escalate further, Desmond suddenly stepped forward and walked behind Maximus's figure.
With a swift motion, Desmond struck Maximus on the back of the head using a brick, dropping him unconscious.
"What the hell!!, where did you pick up that brick?" Seraphine asked in shock, staring at Desmond.
Desmond scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "It's part of my rare brick collection."
The group stared at him in silence, clearly stunned, but no one questioned him further.
Together, Ethan and Galeion lifted the unconscious Maximus and carried him toward his dorm.
***
Knock!! Knock!!....
"Come in," Andrea called out calmly as her quill moved across a document in front of her without pause.
Kevin entered, maintaining the quiet of the room, carrying a thick file in his hands, and took a seat across from her.
The heavy file rested on his lap as he observed her with a faintly cold expression.
"So, Mr Headmaster," Andrea said without looking up, "are you having fun teaching the new children?"
"Tsk, who finds it fun to teach noisy brats?" Kevin replied as he clicked his tongue.
Andrea chuckled briefly, but the atmosphere shifted when Kevin leaned forward slightly and asked,
"So you allowed William to go on a mission even when missions were prohibited for the first years."
"Yes," Andrea replied calmly, nodding for once.
Kevin stared at her with visible interest. "I have never seen you favour even the strongest and brightest students in my lifetime, yet you did it for a new first year."
He shook his head slowly before adding, "What did he do to convince you?"
Andrea smiled faintly. "He offered me something I couldn't refuse."
Kevin's eyes sharpened. "Oh, and what was that?"
"Do you know how I identified Nia as a traitor?" Andrea asked with a smug smile.
Kevin's eyes widened. "Impossible. He gave you a method to detect mutated spies?"
Andrea nodded, her expression growing even more confident.
"What the hell," Kevin muttered. "This kid has too much dirt on the cults."
"At first, I thought it was his instinct," Andrea said. "Or some strange ability to see through people that helped him see through Steve"
Kevin nodded slowly. "I thought so too."
"But it wasn't," Andrea continued. "Brain seeding can be identified with a few methods."
"Brain seeding?" Kevin asked, clearly surprised.
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Andrea nodded and began explaining everything William had told her.
***
Sun Chaser streaked across the sky at full speed, its massive wings cutting through the air as Dahek pursued relentlessly behind them.
"Human," Dahek's voice boomed across the sky, "every second you waste running only adds to your suffering."
His demonic aura surged violently as he launched a fiery spell toward William.
Sun Chaser twisted sharply, dodging the attack by a narrow margin.
Despite being at a lower cultivation, Sun Chaser's vast experience and sharp perception allowed it to evade Dahek's spells with precision.
"What the hell, where is he?" William muttered, his mind racing.
He knew he could not defeat the demon himself, but someone else could, and that was the entire reason he had taken this risk.
William had already sent the divine mail to the Dragon Emperor, accusing Dahek of aiding Maris's escape and attempting to destabilise the empire.
"Hopefully, he took the bait," William thought grimly.
Suddenly, William's eyes narrowed as the landscape beneath them shifted. They had already entered dragon territory, and he needed to buy time.
"Who sent you?" William shouted, turning around on Sun Chaser's back and yelling toward Dahek mid-chase.
"You are not in a position to ask questions, human," Dahek replied coldly. "Just know that you will die by the hands of the infamous Fiery Bull."
"I haven't died yet, fire cow," William shot back.
Though Dahek did not answer further, the title of fiery bull stuck in William's mind, and a chill ran down his spine. He had never heard of a demon with this name.
Suddenly, a streak of light appeared in the distance, growing brighter and larger with every passing second.
"Dive," William screamed in his mind link to Sun Chaser.
Sun Chaser reacted instantly, diving downward as Dahek's eyes tracked them, confused. Greed delayed his realisation, but only briefly.
The moment Dahek sensed the aura, his expression changed.
An overwhelming comet-like energy descended from the sky.
"Dragon Nova," William muttered as he looked at the approaching calamity and quickly activated the Domain of Infinite and vanished inside it with Sun Chaser.
William could not afford to take that attack head-on.
and neither could Dahek the fiery bull.
The sky erupted in light as a gigantic beam of destructive energy flashed throughout the forest as soon as William disappeared.