Apart from Astensia and Thor, who both seemed to have no idea who the floating woman was, everyone else had widened eyes.

Clearly, the system’s world-weaving had done its job. Every student Awakener present stared at the villainess, remembering what they had supposedly read in history books are heard in campfire stories.

"Is that..." Silas muttered, fearing to point. "It can’t be, right? It looks just like..."

"The Mother of Gehenna," Valeria whispered, fear evident in her golden eyes. She instinctively took a step back, bumping into Darian. "The Villainess of Ashenrise. She’s the first ever Demon Binder, and the one who bound Demon Lord Baphomet."

"But she’s dead!" Amira Vineheart gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "I read a tome that said a grand Awakener Army executed her over a century ago! How is she here?"

"She’s a Summon now," Darian observed with his icy eyes. "Lancet’s Summon."

Everyone gasped, glancing at Lancet who gave them a playful shrug as he was still locked in Astensia’s embrace.

Spectra Hexarra listened to their hushed, terrified voices. She placed a clawed finger on her lips.

"Oh my," Spectra drawled to herself, thoroughly enjoying the fear radiating from the Awakeners. "How famous I must have become. They speak of me as if I am a Demon Lord."

"Did... did she do this?" Frieda asked nervously, pointing at the two bifurcated halves of the Void Rank Demon Head on the floor.

Spectra chuckled melodically. "Kill it? Heavens, no." Her eyes drifted down to Lancet. "I only toyed with its soul. The Summoner was the one who killed it."

Another gasp and everyone’s heads snapped to Lancet.

"Really?" Astensia pulled away from Lancet’s chest, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked down at him. "You... you did this?"

Lancet coughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled shyly yet proudly. "Yeah. I did."

Thor froze.

The students shared surprised glances.

Renan looked impressed, but also curious. "But... how? How did you even know there was a second Demon Head? We were all looking for you, completely blindsided when the domain activated."

"I just knew," Lancet lied smoothly. "It was some kind of intuition from the very moment I saw the Hebthej map back in the Academy."

"Then why didn’t you tell us?" Darian demanded.

"Because I might have been wrong," Lancet explained with a half shrug. "If I had raised a false alarm, I would have caused a panic and might have ruined the entire plan. I didn’t want to worry anyone. So, I decided to handle it on my own, with a little help from Spectra."

At the phrase ’decided to handle it on my own,’ Thor stiffened.

She remembered back in the Academy before they left for Hebthej when Lancet had asked for her help and she had flatly rejected him.

She thought he was doing it all for a selfish reason, and she had said some really harsh things. But... he had been really asking her to help him hunt a Demon Head. And even though she refused, he had gone and done it anyway.

Without her.

Wasn’t he terrified? Fighting a Demon Head at his level was like a death sentence.

"That is... unbelievable," Amira said, her face breaking into a massive smile.

"Great job, Lancet!" Kaleb cheered.

"Indeed," Valeria added. "I always knew you were a great addition to this vanguard."

Vernon stayed silent while the other students crowded around Lancet, cheering and congratulating him.

"I knew your potential was boundless, Master," Astensia praised in the midst of the celebration. She placed a gentle, armored hand on his shoulder. "All of our training... it proved useful."

Lancet smiled at her, his heart filling up with something warm and gleeful. "Thank you, Astensia."

Astensia smiled wider, then she looked over shoulder. "Don’t you think so too, Thor?"

Everyone fell silent at that moment. Astensia got out of the way, letting Lancet see Thor who was standing rigidly. She had a look of confusion in her face, like she was fighting a battle no one else could see.

"Thor?" Astensia called again.

Lancet held his breath, trying not to be too hopeful.

Thor’s head fell. When it raised again, her expression showed resolution.

"I don’t, Astensia," Thor said coldly. "He risked his life and jeopardized the safety of the vanguard just to play the hero and secure a kill. He doesn’t fool me."

She turned her back to the group. Her white hair whipped in the wind as she gripped her Hammer of Force. "I’m returning to the tents."

Without another word, Thor began to walk away from the group, heading toward the ruined archway of the cemetery.

Lancet watched her go, a sigh escaping his lips. He knew not to let his hopes up.

He wanted to say something, something to win her over, but as words started to form in his mind, a sound shattered them.

SKREEEEECH!

Directly behind Thor, a patch of the earth exploded outward. A large grotesque Demon sprouted from the dirt. It was as hideous as any Demon, but twice as terrifying.

The very moment the Demon burst out, its chest cavity instantly split open and it launched a deadly explosive Gloom-Spear directly at Thor’s exposed back. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Lancet’s eyes widened. ’How could I have forgotten! If there was a second Demon Head, then there’d be a second Demon Commander!’

Everyone saw and reacted to the Demon, but there was no time to stop the blast.

Thor was mid-step, her back completely turned. Astensia was too far away. Renan was still unsheathing his sword. The Gloom-Spear was traveling at breakneck speed; it would pierce right through Thor’s armor and detonate inside her chest.

That would either leave Thor horribly injured... or kill her instantly.

Lancet’s mind rang with urgency.

"Flash Feet!"

Blue lightning exploded beneath Lancet’s greaves. He moved faster than humanly possible, blurring past everywhere. He threw his body desperately into the trajectory of the projectile, planting himself directly behind Thor.

"Radiant Shield!"

A golden cross materialized in front of him, instantly expanding into a domed forcefield of holy light.

The Gloom-Spear pierced the shield, saving Lancet from being stabbed. But that was only one half of the attack.

BOOM!

The Gloom-Spear detonated, shattering the golden barrier like glass. It punched violently into Lancet’s chest, caving the heavy golden breastplate inward, causing flesh and blood to scatter.

Lancet was blasted backward, pushing Thor farther back and out of the way as he was dragged through the earth.

Thor rolled on the ground and landed on her feet. When she stood up straight, her eyes widened in shock at the sight of Lancet bloodied on the ground.

"MASTER!" Astensia shouted in fear and fury.

She and Renan moved at the same time but Renan reached the Demon Commander first, unleashing all of his heavenly powers to brutally slaughter the Demon.

Astensia ran to Lancet, dropping to her knees beside him as her hands hovering helplessly over his ruined chest.

"Master. Oh, Elders, no. No!"

Lancet was badly wounded. His beautiful golden armor had exploded outward, the breastplate peeled back like shredded foil. His chest was laid open, there was dark purple Gloom sizzling against his flesh, with several chunks of shattered steel driven deep into his ribs.

He was choking, struggling violently to draw breath as blood bubbled at his lips.

"Amira! AMIRA!" Astensia screamed furiously. "Help him! Now!"

Amira quickly slid into the dirt beside them, and activated her healing hexes, placing her hand above Lancet’s terrible wound.

"It’s... really bad!" Amira whispered, panicking.

"Don’t say that," Astensia snapped. She looked down at Lancet, completely terrified. "Stay awake, Master. Just keep your eyes open!"

She gently cradled his head, staining her silver gauntlets with his blood. "You’re fine."

Everyone gathered in a circle, looking down at the wounded Summoner with worried faces.

Thor, now amongst them, stood completely paralyzed. As she stared down at Lancet, her heart thundered within her, her mind pounded with a crushing guilt, and her silver-blue eyes quivered difficultly.

"Why?" Thor whispered a cracking voice, gazing into his eyes. "Why would you do that? That attack was lethal. Why would you risk your life in such a manner for mine?"

Lancet’s eyes slowly met hers. He coughed harshly, blood splashing out of his mouth. But despite the agonizing pain, despite the Gloom burning his insides, Lancet looked up at his Summon, the Heroine of Thunder and smiled at her. Even with his bloodied lips.

"What kind of leader..." Lancet wheezed, "...wouldn’t sacrifice himself for the life of his constituent?"

Thor stopped breathing.

The words struck her soul like lightning. Servont. He sounded exactly like Servont. In the ruins of Devilfall, her former master had sacrificed himself to give her a chance to live.

Thor’s eyes trembled uncontrollably, hands shaking. She stared at his smiling, bloody face for one long second.

Then, she shut her eyes, lowering her head for a second and clenching her fists.

This time, when she raised her head and opened her eyes, the conviction within them was different.

Without waiting for permission, Thor reached down and carefully but firmly scooped Lancet up into her arms, cradling his broken chest against her Thundersteel armor.

She turned to the stunned Vanguard.

"You all can head back to the central square," Thor said emphatically. "We will take him to the Academy’s infirmary."

Lightning sizzled from her beneath her greaves and Thor leaped high into the bright sky. Astensia followed, vaulting high with golden light.

Spectra Hexarra watched the Heroines leave. She tilted her head, although her smile was nowhere to be seen. Then, with a sigh, the Villainess floated upward, trailing a wake of red smoke as she casually followed the Heroines and their dying Master.