"That's brutal."

Emma turned toward the voice and saw three figures approaching.

Kevin and Natalie were both bruised and breathing hard, while Gizel's left arm hung limply by her side.

Without much thought, Emma raised her hand, a faint glow surrounding her fingers as she healed their wounds. "You all have a core?" she asked.

They each held up a small, black orb in their hands.

Emma nodded and turned to pick up hers—

—but froze.

The black mass that had once been a shattered golem twitched. Then, slowly, it began to move.

"Wait… what the—"

"Look!" Kevin shouted, pointing behind them.

They turned to see streams of the same black sludge crawling across the ground, wriggling and sliding, all heading in one direction.

Emma's heart sank. Her eyes followed the trail—

"The gym…" she whispered.

Without another word, she sprinted toward the gymnasium, her aura flaring to life. The others exchanged quick glances before following right behind her.

…

On top of the gymnasium roof, William sat lazily, staring at the sky.

He'd been there the whole time — doing nothing, waiting for a little action.

From where he sat, he could hear the faint echoes of battle — explosions, shouts, metal clashing. Everyone else was already fighting, giving their all.

And yet, no opponent had come for him.

He leaned back, frustration clear on his face.

'What's this supposed to mean? Do they think I'm too weak to handle a real fight?'

He clicked his tongue, tapping his fingers impatiently against the rooftop.

'Tch. Maybe if one of those golems wins against a chosen one, it'll finally come my way.'

He didn't care about the tournament, the rankings, or the reward.

The only thing he cared about was the battle that would come next.

Just then, the air began to shift.

A low hum rippled through the silence, heavy and cold.

William opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.

There it stood — a towering figure, almost six feet tall, its body pulsing with faint red veins under a shell of obsidian metal. Jagged spikes jutted from its head and shoulders, while long, talon-like nails curled from its hands. A thick tail swayed behind it, slicing through the air with a whip-like sound.

Its red eyes locked onto William, glowing brighter with every breath.

The killing intent it radiated was suffocating. It didn't come here to destroy the building.

It came for him.

William smirked. "You look quite weak for someone daring to challenge me."

The golem tilted its head slightly, as if processing his words.

William's grin faltered for a moment.

'Wait... it understood that?'

That thought barely settled when something else caught his eye — a surge of motion from behind.

Streams of thick, dark matter came rushing toward the creature, wriggling across the ground like liquid shadows.

William quickly raised his hand, forming a blast of energy, but the substance moved too fast. Before he could strike, it reached the golem's feet and began to merge with its body.

The change was instant.

A dark surge exploded outward, shaking the air. The golem's spikes lengthened, twisting like blades. The red veins across its chest burned brighter, turning into glowing cracks. Its once-smooth skin hardened into jagged plates of black armor, and its tail split into two, each tip ending in a curved hook. A circle appeared on its chest, glowing golden.

The pressure it emitted doubled — no, tripled.

William clenched his fists, his grin returning, sharper than before.

"Now that's more like it," he muttered, his aura starting to flare.

He could tell — this fight wouldn't be easy.

The thing standing before him was no longer just a golem.

The four arrived at the edge of the field, skidding to a halt. Their eyes widened as they took in the sight before them — William standing alone against the monstrous being.

"Is it just me," Gizel whispered, her voice shaking, "or is that thing giving off an *unhealthy* ominous aura?" Her legs trembled slightly as she spoke.

Natalie frowned, eyes narrowing. "And here I thought I faced the strongest golem…"

The air grew heavy — thick with pressure and unease. The ground itself seemed to hum beneath their feet.

Then—

"That thing… shouldn't exist on school grounds."

The calm, authoritative voice startled them all. They turned around to find the Headmaster standing there, several teachers gathered beside him, their expressions grim.

But before anyone could move, Emma stepped forward.

"Please don't interfere."

Her voice was steady — firm enough to make even the staff hesitate. She turned slightly, her aether becoming alive around her like fire dancing in the wind.

"Don't disturb this battle," she said clearly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Not unless you see things turning bad."

One of the teachers frowned, stepping forward. "Emma? What are you saying? I thought you were close to William! Yet you're just letting him fight something this dangerous?"

Emma let out a quiet sigh, eyes still fixed on the field ahead. "Can't you all see it?" she said softly.

She didn't even need to glance at him — the faint smile on her lips was enough.

"The hunger in his eyes?"

Every gaze shifted toward William.

There he stood, golden hair swaying slightly in the wind, eyes blazing with excitement. His grin stretched wide — wild, fierce — the grin of someone who had finally found what he'd been waiting for all along.

To him, this wasn't a threat.

It was a gift.

Edward narrowed his eyes and asked, "So if anything happens to him, would you take the responsibility?"

Kevin turned his sharp gaze at the old man for cornering Emma.

However, the silver head seemed far from being trapped.

Without a moment of thought or doubt, she nodded, "Yes, I will. So please, just stay here and-"

**BOOOOOOM**

She couldn't get to finish her words as the two figures clashed, the golem striking first.

William grinned as he blocked the punch just inches away from his face, his mental thread coiling around the being's wrist as he muttered,

"You have got me riled up, don't back out now!"

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Imma gonna listen to Judas while writing this one. Thanks for reading.

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