The sky trembled.
A heavy silence covered the academy as Zareth Voidragon held the traitor by the face, his hand gripping him like he was nothing more than dust.
Dark void energy swirled around them, distorting the air, bending space itself.
Below, no one dared to move.
No one dared to speak.
"…Wait—!" the traitor gasped, fear consuming his voice. "Zareth… listen to me!"
Zareth's expression remained unchanged.
Cold.
Empty.
"You already spoke," he said quietly.
"And you chose betrayal."
The traitor struggled desperately, his broken arm hanging uselessly by his side.
"You don't understand!" he shouted. "We had no choice! The gods—"
Zareth's grip tightened slightly.
The man's words stopped instantly.
"I am not interested in excuses."
The air around them grew heavier.
The void energy intensified, forming a dark sphere in Zareth's palm—small, but terrifying.
"Do you remember," Zareth continued, his voice calm, "what you said when you stabbed me?"
The traitor's eyes widened.
"…No…"
Zareth leaned slightly closer.
"You said, 'A king who stands alone deserves to fall alone.'"
The man's face turned pale.
Zareth's eyes glowed faintly.
"…You were wrong."
The sphere pulsed.
Reality cracked.
"I don't fall."
For a brief moment—
Everything went silent.
Then—
Zareth closed his hand.
The void consumed the traitor instantly.
No explosion.
No scream.
Just… disappearance.
As if he had never existed.
A cold wind passed through the academy.
The sky slowly returned to normal.
Zareth lowered his hand.
Below, students stood frozen in fear.
Some couldn't even process what they had just witnessed.
"He… erased him…"
"That wasn't killing…"
"That was… something else…"
Kael Draven, still injured, stared in disbelief.
"…What are you…?"
Zareth didn't answer.
He slowly descended to the ground.
Each step was calm.
Controlled.
Headmaster Valthor stepped forward, his expression serious.
"…Existence Erasure," he said quietly.
The words sent a chill through everyone present.
"That power…" Valthor continued, "hasn't existed for thousands of years."
Zareth finally looked at him.
"…And yet, here I am."
Their eyes met again.
This time, there was no doubt left.
Valthor took a deep breath.
Then—
He bowed.
The entire academy froze.
"Welcome back…" he said.
"…Demon Sovereign."
Gasps echoed everywhere.
"Demon… Sovereign?!"
"No way…"
"That's just a legend!"
Zareth looked around at the terrified faces.
Students.
Teachers.
All of them trembling.
"…Legends are just forgotten truths," he said.
Silence followed.
But deep within the academy…
Something ancient had awakened.
Far away, in a hidden realm—
Multiple figures sat in darkness.
One of them opened their eyes.
"…He's back."
Another voice responded coldly:
"…Then this time, we destroy him before he rises."
Back at the academy—
Zareth turned toward the sky.
"…Let them come."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"This time… I won't hold back."