The final demon was a creature with five pairs of wings. Each of its attacks carried the devastating force of a four-winged demon's final breath, it was just that powerful. Nine beings came together to face that monstrosity, and against all odds, they emerged victorious.
From that moment on, they were known as the Supremes.
Their power was immense, but even more formidable was their influence. Their mere existence could found a religion and inspire thousands of followers. They had become spiritual pillars in the world.
And when a spiritual pillar falls, people are willing to fall with them.
One of them had died quietly, without anyone knowing.
"Who?" The question hung heavy in the air.
"That's what we don't know," Dante replied, his expression serious. "And as for why… we think there's more to this world than we understand."
"Haa…" Vahn exhaled, sitting down and quickly digging into his food. No one spoke. They were still processing everything.
After about five minutes, Vahn finally looked up, a slight grin on his face.
"Ready for part two?"
Gulp.
Everyone, even the silent girl, swallowed hard.
Vahn continued, "Here's the deal. The world is currently in something called a 'stage.' We're in the first stage right now. And guess what? The demons? They were just the first scenario of this stage."
"Haa…"
"What?"
"How many scenarios are there?" Dante, staying composed, asked the more pressing question.
"Two," Vahn replied.
"Then…" Dante's voice trailed off, already connecting the dots.
"Yeah," Vahn nodded. "Like you guessed, these marked beasts… they aren't a leftover from the demons. They're part of the second scenario."
"Hmm…"
The reactions were more acceptable this time.
"So, how do we clear the scenario?" Dante asked again.
"There's something called a 'core' that spawns the marked beasts. To get it, we'll have to face the guardians that protect it."
"Woww…" Han blinked in disbelief.
"No, that's not even the worst part," Vahn added. "There's a time limit."
"Time limit?"
"How long?"
"Fifty years. Now, do the math. how long has it been since people started gaining abilities?"
"Forty-seven years, eleven months, and twelve days," Dante replied accurately, however, his voice sounded slightly uneasy.
"Exactly. We're running out of time." Vahn's tone dropped. "But here's the silver lining. If, just if we succeed, our world will evolve into a higher realm. Imagine another Earth, more advanced, with its own civilization. That's the reward."
"S-So… this world is a game?" Carla finally spoke up, connecting the pieces.
"Exactly. But not just any game. A cosmic one, where the universe itself hands out rewards."
"Wait… so you want to clear the stage?" Han turned to Vahn.
"Haa… Look, we can't wait for the Supremes. They had forty-seven years. Now, it's our turn to try. If we fail, we fail."
"Haah… Alright, fine," Han muttered. "But right now, we're weak as hell."
"Maybe you are," Vahn teased.
Only he and Han seemed to be handling the revelation well.
"So… a new world, huh?" Carla mused quietly. "Not bad at all."
"True," Dante nodded. "But first, we need to get stronger. And that won't happen if we stay in this school."
"You mentioned you had a teleporter, right?" Carla asked. "I know a place."
"But we'll still need to search the world for signs of the guardians," Vahn said, glancing at Dante. "Maybe something that reads wave signals?"
"I've been thinking that too," Dante replied. "But I'm a hacker, not a machine creator."
"Wait… so you need someone to build machines?" Han asked.
"Yes."
Vahn's eyes widened in surprise as he spoke, "I know a guy."
Not wanting to lose out, Han immediately spoke up, "I have a blacksmith friend…"
Carla also spoke, "My friend runs a faction. We could use them for resources…"
"I…"
Like that, in the school cafeteria of a military camp to raise children to use their abilities for good, five students began crafting a strategy that could change the fate of the world.
A single misstep could doom everything.
Meanwhile, with the Alliance deploying both palace members and military forces, the sudden demon outbreak had been brought under control, at least for now.
But the return of the demons had shaken the public. It had taken ten long years to defeat them before. Imagine the kind of fear in the minds of the public.
To calm public fear, the Alliance released some key information:
-These aren't the demons we knew. They're humans who injected themselves with demonic enhancements.
-The Alliance currently has over 50,000 S-rank ability users, so the demons are manageable.
This little piece of information brought some comfort to civilians, but society didn't return to normal. A state of emergency was declared, and shortly after, a viral video began circulating.
"New Age Demons."
That's what this new group called themselves. Their message was calm, even diplomatic, filmed with a human face and a clear agenda. It confirmed the Alliance's claims and revealed their demands:
"Until you accept our terms, we won't stop attacking."
The demons of old didn't negotiate. They destroyed. So naturally, a new rumor spread:
"The demons are afraid of the Supremes."
Why else would they threaten instead of attack outright?
Whether the demons liked it or not, that belief took root. And so, rather than panic, little by little, the public began to see them simply as enemies to be dealt with on sight.
At the Alliance Headquarters…
A high-level meeting was underway in a much grander conference room than the one below. Around the long table sat nearly fifty top officials. Yet again, the seat at the head of the table remained empty.
"Is the General not attending?" asked a familiar lieutenant-general.
"I'm sorry. He sends his apologies… and a message," replied the secretary of the alliance headquarters, bowing deeply.
"In that case," the lieutenant-general said, voice stern, "let the meeting begin."
One week later…
For the students, it had been a week of intense planning.
While their classmates exhaled in relief, thinking the crisis was over, this group had used every second to finalize their strategy.
And now, it was complete.
"… And that marks the last stage of our plan," Dante said, his tone calm but determined as he read the final plan they had prepared.
Silence followed. Everyone was accepting their roles in this strategy they made.
Then, Dante spoke again, his expression sharp:
"Are we also including the demons in our plan?"