CHAPTER 42: WILLIAM FAILED

William was good at many things.

Even as a noble kid, he could cook, make his bed, and tie his laces. But there were things he wasn’t so good at... like finding directions.

He was lost—and had been for several minutes.

He’d been trying to find his way back to the team ever since he felt something strange in the area. The color of the barrier had changed, and it felt as if someone had trapped them inside.

William didn’t like the feeling at all. He needed to regroup with the others and figure out how to escape—but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t find them.

"Guh! The old man always told me to leave marks in the forest, but I completely forgot." His father had taught him how to mark trees and rocks so he wouldn’t lose his way.

But when he’d walked away from the group, his mind was filled with thoughts of Emma, and he’d forgotten everything his father said.

"Huh?" Suddenly, a bright light flared in the distance.

William squinted. He recognized that glow—it was Kevin’s magic.

Without hesitation, he rushed in that direction. He might have been bad with directions, but he wasn’t clueless. Even after the light faded, he knew which way to go.

When he finally spotted the group, his steps froze.

’Emma...’ Blood trickled down her forehead, her face pale as she held her arm close.

It was the first time he had seen her look so weak, yet the fire in her eyes was still burning strong.

William’s expression hardened. He turned toward the source of the chaos.

"Meet my other creations!"

William’s eyes widened. The man standing there shouldn’t even be alive.

’What is that monster doing here?’

It was Talobo—a Grade A criminal Emma had crushed during the tournament.

Yet here he was, grinning as he threw strange cubes that burst open, forming massive golems. Their cold presence filled the air, heavy and suffocating.

William clenched his fists.

’Finally.’

.....

Emma stared at the seven figures standing before her.

If there had been even a flicker of hope that they could escape this place alive, it was fading fast now.

Natalie had already fallen to her knees, the light of hope gone from her eyes.

Kevin still gripped his broken sword, but the way his hands shook and his gaze wandered told her everything—he was at his limit.

’He wouldn’t have come here without planning ahead,’ Emma thought, a faint smirk curling on her lips as she began healing herself once more.

"Hoh~ the Valkyrie rises again," Talobo sneered, his grin wide and calm. There wasn’t the slightest trace of panic on his face—he must have set up something to keep the instructors away.

Emma’s silver hair clung to her blood-stained cheeks as she wiped her lips, letting a drop of crimson fall to the ground.

The instant her blood touched the muddy soil, a faint green light spread around her, twisting and growing brighter with each heartbeat.

"I–In the name of..." she began, her voice low but steady.

"Stop her!" Talobo shouted.

The leanest golem lunged forward, vanishing from sight in a blur.

Emma tilted her head slightly, her chant never faltering, her eyes locked on the incoming threat.

The golem’s shadow loomed over her, its fist tightening as it closed the final distance.

The silver-haired girl clenched her jaw, ready to take the hit but determined to finish her chant—her last resort.

But then—an arm wrapped around her.

**DOOOOOM!**

The golem’s fist slammed into the ground where she had been standing just a heartbeat ago, sending dirt and debris flying.

Yet Emma was safe.

Not because she escaped.

But because she knew the warmth of the person holding her.

"Took you quite long..." she said weakly, a faint smile of relief forming on her pale face.

William smirked. "Wanted to see exactly when you’d surrender...but well, you disappointed me."

Emma chuckled softly. "Not many things can make me yield."

William let out a sigh before helping her sit down.

She leaned back against a tree, her breath steadying. Natalie dropped to the ground, a long sigh escaping her lips, though Kevin remained tense.

William was strong, yes—but these weren’t just any golems.

"Oh, a wild prince has joined the party," Talobo mocked, clapping slowly, his grin widening.

William’s eyes narrowed as he lifted his hand, focusing on the nearest golem. His gaze sharpened—yet nothing happened.

"Huh?!" His eyes widened. His telekinesis... wasn’t working.

Talobo’s laughter burst through the air. "Phahahah! You fool! You really thought you were some brave soldier saving a damsel! But you’re nothing more than a clown!" His voice echoed with cruel delight. "That’s right—you’re the clown now."

Natalie’s eyes widened, terror gripping her heart as she saw even their last ray of hope flicker out.

’No... no, no, no!’

Kevin gritted his teeth. He had known it—this wasn’t going to work.

William stared at his trembling hand, raising it again and again toward the golem, trying to unleash his power.

But nothing.

"No... no... why is this happening?" he muttered, despair clouding his face as his power failed him.

Talobo couldn’t stop laughing as he turned toward Emma. But when he saw her sitting there—calm, expressionless, almost bored—it threw him off for a moment.

Still, he smirked and said, "Your knight in shining armor turned out to be a clown, Valkyrie. Are you always surrounded by such weak men?"

Kevin glared at him, but it had no effect. His anger was as useless as William’s failed attack.

Emma, however, didn’t even flinch. She simply tilted her head and replied, "How long are you planning to play? I’m hungry."

Talobo’s grin faltered. A faint crease formed on his forehead as he glanced back at William.

The boy wasn’t moving. No—he wasn’t even breathing heavily. He stood there completely still, eyes blank, body frozen in place.

Something felt wrong.

"Number Three, attack!" Talobo ordered sharply.

A massive golem leaped through the air, its fist crashing down toward William’s head with crushing force.

"No!" Kevin shouted, stepping forward helplessly.

Natalie’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the enormous fist close in, just inches away from smashing William’s skull.

But William didn’t move. Not even an inch.

And then—

*SHLINK*

A sharp, slicing sound cut through the air.

The golem froze mid-motion, its eyes flickering before its body split cleanly in half, falling to either side with a heavy thud.

Silence filled the clearing.

William slowly lifted his head, a shadow curling over his face before a sharp, menacing smile spread across his lips.

"Isn’t it fun?" he said, his voice calm but dripping with malice. "That moment when you think you’re just inches from the finish line... only for someone to kick you right back to zero?"

The air around him began to ripple.

Dust and dirt rose from the ground as William’s golden hair shimmered faintly under the strange pressure building around him.

He slowly lifted off the ground, his feet leaving the earth behind as if gravity no longer applied to him. His voice deepened, echoing through the tense silence.

"Rejoice," he declared, his eyes glowing faintly with an eerie light, "for you have earned the right to receive death—by my hand."

°°°°°°°

A/N:- I will keep the God complex in check, I swear. Drop a comment