The night was filled with chaos. Terrified screams echoed in the distance while gusts of wind carried dust and broken stones across the ruined battlefield.
BOOM. BOOM.
Shockwaves pulsed outward from the impact site, shaking the very ground.
Eventually, the thunderous noise faded into a strange, tense silence. Inside the ruins of an abandoned factory, a metallic arm suddenly pushed up from beneath the rubble. Stones and concrete slabs clattered aside as Tony Stark emerged, brushing dirt off his armored shoulder.
He looked ahead through his cracked helmet visor.
The earth had been torn open. The once-flat land had been scraped away, leaving behind a wide crater nearly 100 meters in diameter. At the center stood a lone figure, and scattered around him were dozens of shattered ice fragments—all that remained of the demon that once roared and threatened.
Inside those shards were bloody remnants—arms, legs, and a torso sliced into pieces. It was gruesome and final.
Standing calmly atop the frozen demon's severed head, the boy stared down at it. Inside the cloudy ice, the demon's last red eye glowed with rage and hatred, locked in a frozen stare.
The boy bent over slightly and whispered, "Filthy garbage... death suits you. Go back to your hell."
CRACK.
With a cold, effortless kick, he shattered the frozen skull. The last gleam in the demon's eye flickered out forever.
From his spot in the distance, Tony couldn't help but smile beneath his helmet.
"Wow... I like this kid."
He admired the ruthlessness. The boy didn't hesitate, didn't gloat, and didn't falter. That brutal efficiency reminded Tony of someone... someone he couldn't stop thinking about lately. This boy, Sanjid, was definitely connected to her.
Farther away, atop the steel skeleton of another ruined textile factory, a figure watched silently. Hidden in the shadows, Mephisto's greedy eyes sparkled.
He had seen everything. From the boy's frost magic to the sheer destructive power of his sword, Mephisto's hunger for power had grown beyond control. The desire to act surged within him.
But he didn't move. He couldn't.
Not with her standing nearby.
Perched on a broken steel beam, watching quietly, was Bella. Her presence alone was enough to freeze Mephisto's blood, and that was saying something, considering he was a demon lord.
He could sense it—his soul was weakening. Though he'd repaired it by devouring other souls, it wasn't enough. This projection of his wouldn't last long, and the woman nearby... she was far too dangerous.
Her battle aura was calm on the surface, but her eyes never left him. Mephisto knew—if he so much as twitched, she would strike, and her attack would not be merciful.
Last time he burned part of his soul to escape.
This time, if he was struck, he wouldn't return for decades. Not just weakened—obliterated. His schemes would be set back by years.
No... now was not the time to act.
Bella's cold stare held steady. She could tell Mephisto was scheming. Her instincts told her he was planning something, but not today. Still, killing intent flickered in her eyes.
The sky seemed to darken as her aura shifted. Even the air grew heavier.
Mephisto felt it instantly.
Danger.
Without hesitation, his form flickered. He vanished, abandoning the mortal body he'd borrowed. In the blink of an eye, he was gone—just as the chill of Bella's power swept toward him.
"Tch. Ran fast, didn't he?" Bella muttered under her breath. She mentally made a note of this moment.
She had hoped to eliminate the demon's projection while she had the chance. It might've been just an echo of his real form, but destroying it would still hurt Mephisto and weaken whatever plan he was hatching.
Too bad he slipped away.
Still, she reminded herself—the Ancient One was still alive. As long as Earth's Sorcerer Supreme stood, Mephisto couldn't make bold moves. Not yet.
At most, he had one or two years before that changed.
By then... she would be stronger.
Next time he showed up, she wouldn't let him escape.
---
Meanwhile, back near the crater, Sanjid felt the ripple in the air.
His senses were sharp—too sharp to miss it this time. Something had just vanished from the battlefield... something powerful.
He spun around instinctively and finally saw her.
There, standing confidently on the ruined beam, was Bella, her sword slung behind her back, her posture calm as if she hadn't just scared off a demon lord.
Sanjid's heart raced. A wide smile spread across his face—something rare for him.
He dashed across the battlefield, leaping effortlessly over rocks and cracked ground. Tony followed close behind, clearly interested in this mysterious reunion.
To beings like them, hundreds of meters meant nothing.
In mere seconds, they were standing in front of Bella.
"Mentor~~!" Sanjid beamed.
Bella sighed.
"I told you, don't call me that."
"My king~!" Sanjid replied, clasping his hands together as if offering fealty.
Bella facepalmed.
She had once casually named her sword the Black Sword of the Oath of Victory, and that one small action had spiraled out of control.
Back on the island, she'd briefly mentioned forming a group—the Knights of the Round Table—because she was too lazy to think of anything else. But Sanjid had taken it seriously.
Very seriously.
He now believed she was the Knight King— a legendary figure who wielded divine power and led a round table of noble warriors.
Bella hadn't even bothered to correct him.
It wasn't just Sanjid. Many fans online had been saying the same thing since that night in New York, when she yelled "Excalibur!" and released a devastating attack.
The sword's appearance, its energy, even its shape—all of it looked far too similar to the ancient descriptions of King Arthur's holy blade.
Some people believed she was the Knight King reborn. Others thought she was a descendant, which explained her overwhelming strength.
And people didn't stop at speculating. Whole fan forums were built around her legend.
But they weren't the only ones interested.
Secret organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken notice too.
Tony had been digging into it as well. He had traced the sword's origin and discovered something fascinating—it was forged by a dwarf king under orders from Frigga, the Asgardian queen. Even Thor had mentioned its creation.
They even investigated Bella's ancestry. Records showed she had Eagle Kingdom blood, suggesting a distant royal link.
The mystery surrounding her power only deepened. Even gods were curious.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had dispatched teams to ancient ruins across Europe, hoping to find King Arthur's lost city or the ruins of the Round Table. Every expedition ended the same way—with nothing.
No relics. No confirmation.
Just a growing legend.
And standing in front of her now, with stars in his eyes, was her most loyal believer—Sanjid.
To him, she was more than a mentor. She was a myth come to life.
According to him, she wasn't just a powerful fighter—she was the sorcerer Merlin and the Knight King combined, a legendary figure born again.
Even Tony, ever the skeptic, had to admit... some of it made too much sense.
Bella didn't correct him.
She just stood there, rolling her eyes but not denying anything.
Because deep down, she knew the truth wasn't so simple either.
-
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