Lucifer: Godless Reawakening

"She looks no older than ten," Anna muttered as she moved beside Kevin. They slipped into a quiet corner, far from the others, to discuss what they needed to do.

Kevin exhaled heavily. "Exactly. And that's why it's surprising she's an Emissary. Devils don't form contracts with children. They die too easily during the ritual—they're considered… useless vessels."

Anna's brows furrowed. "Then doesn't that mean she has a strong blessing?"

Kevin nodded. "And an incredibly tough will."

They soon gathered close, though the little girl stood a few steps away, gazing out the window on her own.

William's eyes drifted toward her. She was trying to look outside but could barely reach, standing on her tiptoes, struggling for even a glimpse.

He let out a quiet sigh and used telekinesis to lift her gently upward.

She blinked, startled at first, then looked down at the ground, realizing she was floating. Her bright blue eyes lifted and met William's crimson ones.

For a heartbeat, she simply stared.

Then a small, radiant smile bloomed on her face.

Silently, she waved at him.

William stiffened, blinked in confusion, and quickly looked away.

But the little girl didn't wilt.

To her, this was the first time someone had shown her even a sliver of warmth—no hostility, no distrust—and the novelty of it filled her with a fluttering, unfamiliar joy.

She folded her arms on the window ledge, rested her cheek against them, and with a slight tilt of her head, admired the scenery outside.

Emma noticed the exchange—every detail—but chose to remain silent.

Lextor finally spoke. "We need to reach Island Beta by evening."

Gloria chimed in, "Will there be traps even on this island?" Everything had seemed normal earlier when they'd made their way to the hall.

"Didn't you hear the lady?" Warren snickered. "The moment we walked out that door, the test started."

Gloria rolled her eyes. "A simple 'yes' would've worked."

Anna shifted the conversation. "How are we moving? What formation? And are we carrying the child the whole time? That's probably the safest option."

Kevin replied, "We can leave the last line of defense to Emma. Her barriers are hard to get through. Keeping her close to the child is essential."

William sighed under his breath.

This guy just couldn't help speaking on Emma's behalf.

Lextor nodded. "That would be for the best. Three on the rear, three in the front. That keeps our pressure balanced."

The self-proclaimed leader cleared his throat. "I believe a star formation would work better. Wider coverage, fewer blind spots."

Lextor considered it for a moment. "It could work. But remember—most of us are close-combatants. If we spread too thin, we'll only look like we're covering her well. That false sense of protection might encourage the enemy to rush us head-on."

Gloria raised a hand. "Alright, but what if they use those gaps to attack her from afar?"

Lextor paused mid-thought.

Then he turned his gaze toward William, as if the answer had been obvious all along.

"They won't," he said. "Not when he is with us."

Every eye shifted toward the blond boy standing with his arms crossed, silent, unbothered, and unintentionally imposing.

Like a proud wife, Emma couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips as she looked at him.

The group continued discussing the rest of their strategy—movement routes, fallback plans, and coded signals to confirm identities in case someone tried to impersonate a team member. Most of the conversation flowed between Lextor and Kevin, with Anna adding quiet suggestions, and Gloria offering her opinions when it felt necessary. Emma and William remained mostly silent, standing off to the side but listening attentively.

Emma's gaze drifted to her lover, only to find him staring at the small child who had somehow fallen asleep while still standing, her head resting lightly against the window frame.

Emma stepped closer and whispered, "Feeling bad?"

William shook his head. "Just wondering what could've happened…for her to accept a Devil's contract."

Emma followed his eyes. The little girl's sleeping face looked impossibly peaceful, her features soft and angelic under the dim sunlight spilling through the glass.

Such a small, gentle soul…

And yet she was already bound to a being who would one day consume her and use her body as a vessel for destruction.

William exhaled a sigh, "Well, no point in feeling pity for her. Her fate was sealed the moment she sold her soul."

….

The other students had already gathered inside the monitoring room, where rows of screens flickered to life, illuminating the space with shifting blue light.

"Woah… we can track each of them individually too," someone whispered in awe.

Nine screens were arranged in a neat grid—one for each of the seven candidates, one dedicated entirely to the little hostage, and one showing the full-area surveillance. Every angle, every breath, every misstep would be visible.

Chairs scraped softly as the students settled in, some leaning forward with excitement, others with stiff, nervous anticipation. A few had even brought notepads, ready to jot down every movement, every spell, every technique of the competitors they might eventually face in the third round.

These seven weren't ordinary students anymore; they were the best among their batch.

And during this assessment, they would be forced to move without filters, hesitation, or restraint. Their full potential would surface—not because they wanted to impress, but because the danger was real.

They wouldn't be fighting classmates this time.

They would be facing trained killers.

Many students have started even putting bets on who would go down first and who will stay until the end

Most of the people were betting on Lextor, Gloria and Emma. Yes, as surprising it appears, there were several who still believed William was a lucky bastard who defeated Lextor by chance.

Well, people like Gizel and Mark knew what kind of monster William was—facing him in a battle had changed their views on several things.

In a far corner, Domella was standing in silence, watching the screens.

Just then, another staff member came to her and whispered, "He has been deployed."

Domella knew exactly who this 'he' was, and truth be told, she was quite anxious about this sudden addition Arthur had requested to this contest.

If anyone else, any other Seated members had requested something like this, she would have instantly rejected it. But…it was Arthur. If he had said it, then there must be a reason.

'Are these students really that strong?' She thought as she eyed the students, her gaze lingering on some certain students.

After a brief pause, she told the staff member, "Make sure he doesn't kill any student."

The staff member shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

Domella glared at him, "Ensure it. I can't have any of them die on the battlefield."

The staff member stuttered, "We will do our best."