Four figures sat around a circular table in an ominously silent chamber, their faces concealed beneath the shadows.
For a brief moment, the room remained deathly still.
Then, a calm yet authoritative female voice broke the silence.
"Let the case of Evans Ashford commence."
---
Elsewhere...
Evans slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself standing in a hellish landscape. The ground beneath him was scorched black, while the sky itself appeared to be woven from swirling smoke and raging flames.
"Damn it... This must be he—"
Before he could finish his sentence, searing flames erupted across his body.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat as agony unlike anything he had ever imagined consumed him. It felt as though the flames weren't merely burning his flesh—they were scorching his very soul.
"What the hell is this?! Make it stop! Make it stop!"
Driven mad by the unbearable pain, Evans bolted forward, running aimlessly through the infernal wasteland in a desperate attempt to escape the unrelenting flames.
Evans continued running, his agonizing screams echoing through the infernal wasteland.
Before long, his legs gave out beneath him.
He stumbled, crashed onto the scorched ground, and began rolling frantically through the dirt, desperately trying to extinguish the flames that refused to die.
"Please... make it stop... Please, make it freaking stop!"
A translucent crimson screen suddenly materialized before him.
[Penalty in Progress]
[Time Remaining: 03:00:00]
The moment his eyes fell upon the countdown, horror consumed him.
Three hours...
Three more hours of this unbearable torment.
His trembling lips parted as despair overwhelmed him.
"I'm... going to die..."
---
Meanwhile...
Back in the council chamber, silence lingered for a brief moment before the woman spoke once more, her voice as composed and authoritative as ever.
"So, shall we hear everyone's opinion regarding the Evans Ashford case?"
A young man leaned back in his chair, an unmistakable hint of irritation in his voice.
"We shouldn't even be wasting our time discussing this. The most logical—and realistic—solution is to kill the boy."
The woman responded almost immediately, her expression unreadable.
"There's no need to rush to a conclusion. As things stand, we lack sufficient evidence to condemn him."
Her gaze shifted toward the man seated to her left.
"Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Finn?"
The man folded his hands together before replying in a calm, mature voice.
"To be honest... I agree with Rayden."
A faint sigh escaped the woman's lips.
"I see..."
She then turned her attention to the final member seated opposite her.
"What about you, Mr. Zach?"
Zach, who had remained silent throughout the discussion, lifted his head slightly. His expression remained as indifferent as ever.
"If the boy truly is a demon, I'll kill him myself."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But until that's confirmed... I'll side with you, Camellia."
"There you go again with that nonchalant attitude of yours... and that damned belief that you can handle everything on your own."
Rayden's voice dripped with irritation as he glared at Zach.
"Well... it's the truth."
Zach's calm reply only fueled Rayden's anger.
"That's enough."
Camellia cut in before the argument could escalate any further.
"Please, both of you, calm yourselves."
She waited until the room fell silent before continuing.
"Rayden, you should strive to remain calm and composed at all times."
Rayden exhaled slowly, forcing himself to regain control of his emotions.
"Fine."
He leaned back in his chair before speaking once more.
"But let me remind everyone of the facts. Evans Ashford was confirmed to possess almost no Sacred Energy, and his physical capabilities were equally unimpressive. Yet according to Zach's report, he arrived just in time to witness that very same boy fighting a C-Rank beast."
Rayden paused, allowing his words to sink in.
"Not only that, but Evans didn't appear to have suffered a single injury."
Finn rested his chin on his clasped hands.
"In other words... you're suggesting the boy possesses Demonic Energy."
He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"That would also explain why his Sacred Energy was practically nonexistent."
"Exactly."
Rayden nodded confidently.
Camellia folded her arms.
"And your conclusion is that Evans is a demon. Is that correct, Rayden?"
A smug smile spread across Rayden's face.
"Yes."
"We all know that even an average demon possesses power comparable to a newly awakened S-Rank Sacred Warrior. Even if the boy isn't that strong yet, a demon with intelligence like his would grow at an astonishing rate."
His expression darkened.
"If we allow him to live... there may come a day when even we, the S-Ranks, won't be able to stop him."
"That doesn't apply to me."
Zach's indifferent voice echoed through the chamber ,he didn't even bother looking at Rayden.
"No matter how powerful he becomes... I can still kill him."
Rayden shot to his feet, murderous intent erupting from his body. Though darkness continued to conceal his features, the fury radiating from him was unmistakable.
"That's it!"
His voice thundered throughout the chamber.
"I don't know what makes you think you're stronger than everyone else, but I'm more than capable of putting you down right here and now!"
Rayden drew a deep breath.
Just as he was about to make his move, Camellia appeared before him in an instant, placing a hand firmly over his mouth and halting him in his tracks.
Her usually gentle expression vanished, replaced by one of absolute authority.
"Enough, Rayden."
Her voice was sharp enough to freeze the room.
"Do you even realize what you were about to do?"
Rayden slowly lowered himself back into his seat, the embarrassment evident despite the darkness concealing his face.
"Alright... my apologies."
Camellia let out a quiet sigh.
"Just do your best to control your temper. As a member of the Council of Light, you are expected to conduct yourself with the utmost discipline."
Rayden gave a silent nod.
After a brief pause, Zach spoke once more.
"I have a proposal."
The room turned its attention toward him.
"We know Evans fought a beast after his previous assessment. It's possible he awakened Sacred Energy during that encounter."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"I suggest we conduct another evaluation of his Sacred Energy and physical attributes. If his Sacred Energy still registers as zero..."
His tone remained calm, yet carried absolute conviction.
"...then I will personally take responsibility for his execution."
"I was the one who apprehended him, and he is currently being held within my Branch. Therefore, the responsibility should fall to me."
The chamber fell silent.
One by one, the council members nodded in agreement.
Camellia rose gracefully from her seat, her commanding presence filling the room.
"Then it is decided."
Her authoritative voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"By the unanimous decision of the Council of Light, Evans Ashford shall undergo a second assessment of his Sacred Energy and physical attributes tomorrow."
She paused, allowing the weight of her words to settle.
"Should the results remain unchanged..."
"...Evans Ashford will be executed."
---
Elsewhere...
Evans remained on his knees as the merciless flames continued to consume him.
His body trembled uncontrollably, while every ragged breath felt heavier than the last. The life had long since drained from his eyes, leaving behind only despair.
"S... somebody... p-please... h..."
Before he could finish, his throat completely dried up, robbing him of even the strength to whisper.
A translucent crimson screen materialized before him.
[Penalty]
[Hell Prison in Progress]
[Time Remaining: 00:10:00]
Ten minutes.
To Evans, it felt less like ten minutes... and more like ten years.
This has to be some kind of sick joke...
He no longer possessed the strength to utter those words aloud.
His mind had reached its absolute limit.
Even his soul felt as though it were on the verge of shattering.
Slowly, he closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the inevitable.
But just before his eyelids met...
Something caught his attention.
He instinctively turned his head to the left.
Far in the distance, barely visible through the distorted air and dancing flames, a lone figure lay motionless upon the infernal ground.
Evans' eyes widened.
A person...?
How is there someone else here?
I thought this place was created by the system as my punishment... so why is someone else inside it?
His heart skipped a beat.
He blinked.
The figure had vanished.
A chill unlike anything he had felt before coursed through his body—a sensation so unnatural that it momentarily overpowered even the agony of the flames.
His teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
With painstaking slowness, Evans turned his head forward.
His vision had become hopelessly blurred, yet he could still make out the silhouette of someone standing only a few feet away.
Watching him.
Before he could gather another thought...His body final gave out.
He collapsed face-first onto the scorched earth.
"W-wait..."
His voice was barely audible.
"I'm... dying..."
At that very moment, another system notification appeared before him.
However...
Evans no longer possessed the strength to open his eyes and read it.