Meanwhile, far above the city, in the obsidian chamber of the High-Ranks, the God Sister stood silent. Shadows of five S-Rank Hunters loomed behind her, their faces tense with unease.
Her voice was low, sharp as ice.
"He is the Chosen Child."
A murmur ran through the ranks.
"Child? You mean the anomaly the scouts reported?" one of them asked carefully.
She didn't turn to look. Her gaze rested on the massive map of the outer ruins, dotted with markers of monster activity.
"Yes," she said. "He carries within him a power that should never awaken. Zerath lies dormant inside him. Once consumed, once awakened… he will surpass me."
The room went quiet.
Another High-Rank stepped forward. "He's still weak. Why act now?"
She finally turned. Eyes like shards of ice, cutting through them all.
"Because power does not wait. The prophecy is precise. He is the one who can free Zerath. If he lives long enough to awaken him… all balance ends. Our control, this city, the hierarchy—it all falls."
One of the older High-Ranks swallowed nervously. "You want him… eliminated?"
Her lips curved into a faint, cruel smile.
"Yes. He cannot be allowed to grow. Not even under the guise of a student."
Another voice whispered, "But he's just a boy. How can a child…?"
She stepped closer to the map, hand tracing the line of the city walls.
"A child, yes. But the chosen one is not measured by age. Strength will awaken. And when it does, the world will bend to him. Zerath is a force that cannot be restrained once freed. He will devour everything in his path, including me."
Her hand clenched slightly. "I will not allow it. That is why he must die before the prophecy unfolds."
A pause filled the chamber.
"And," she added quietly, almost to herself, "I will not touch him directly. Let him be shaped… let him trust… and then let him fall. Only then will I ensure nothing rises to challenge me."
The High-Ranks nodded silently.
Outside, the city slept unaware.
Below, students like Narukaze went about their lives, carrying packs, running drills, and dreaming of small victories.
Unaware that forces above were already moving.
Unaware that one day, his hands would hold the power to free Zerath—and that the God Sister's icy patience would be waiting to strike.