The World System and the demon that could not be king.

That same calm night, while Kael slept soundly, Sara stepped outside. She sat beneath the starry sky, a cup of hot tea cradled in her hands. Her gaze was fixed on the moon, but her mind wandered restlessly.

"This isn't normal," she muttered. "Not at this age... not even children from royal bloodlines develop dual-element magic this early."

She tightened her grip on the cup.

"And yet... he doesn't even realize what he's done..."

She sighed, trying to find some kind of explanation. But no matter how far she searched through her memories—or through the oldest books in her cabin—there was nothing. Not even the most ancient texts could explain a case like his. All that was left was to accept it: this child had a future far too great to ignore.

And so, the years passed. Each day, Kael learned a new type of magic, guided by Sara's teachings. And with every lesson came a new explanation, a new way to prepare for the unknown.

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"Alright, time to get moving."

I slipped on my shoes and stepped outside. Mom was off in the nearest town, and I wasn't about to waste the chance to train a little. After all, I'm already fourteen.

Usually, she'd get mad when I went out early without saying anything. But this time was different. This time, I'd be back before she even noticed.

I'd developed a small magic system recently—one that would alert me the moment she returned. On top of that, I'd already learned how to use teleportation magic, so I could get back in an instant.

With everything ready, I used wind magic to rush through the backyard and made my way toward a nearby waterfall. The only sounds were birds singing and water cascading down the rocks. I took a deep breath and smiled.

"So peaceful..."

I drew the wooden sword strapped to my waist and began my training.

Swordsmanship was the most important thing for now. Physical training would come next… or at least, that was the plan.

After a long session of practice, I wanted to test something.

"Could I cut that rock with this sword?"

I wasn't totally sure. But what if I added some force and wind attributes to it? It seemed possible… only one way to find out.

I readied my stance, the sword slightly unsheathed. After taking a deep breath in—and exhaling slowly—I dashed forward at a speed almost too fast to track.

The blade began to glow like a flash of light the moment I drew it a little further.

And as I passed the rock, I slid the sword back into its sheath. Only then did I realize what I had done—the blade had cut clean through the entire stone.

"Whoa... just as I thought. It really did cut through."

It felt like a huge achievement. A new step forward.

Suddenly, a scream rang out in the distance. It wasn't from an animal—those were already familiar to me. No, this time… it was human.

I quickly moved through the trees in the direction of the voice, stopping atop one of the branches to get a better view.

A fat man, who looked like some sort of merchant, was dragging a woman out of a carriage. She had golden-blonde hair and radiant eyes that gleamed like pure gold. Her pale skin only made it more obvious—she had to be a noble. Or at least, that was my guess.

She was being dragged by the hair. If I had to guess her age, I wouldn't even know where to start. Mom never told me anything about situations like this. It was something completely new to me.

Two more men stepped out of the carriage. Their intentions were far from good.

"At this rate... something terrible might happen if I don't step in. But if I go in like this, it could cause trouble down the line."

Then an idea struck me.

Mom had taught me how to create objects using elements from the surroundings. Even something as simple as five leaves could be enough.

It had been one of the hardest things to learn, and the first time I pulled it off, it was pure luck.

I grabbed five leaves, pressed them tightly between my palms, and closed my eyes. When I opened them and unfolded my hands… just as I had hoped, a mask formed—shaped like the face of a strange monster, hardened like thick plastic.

I didn't hesitate. I put the mask on. It covered my entire face and felt a bit uncomfortable… but only for a second.

Swiftly, I dropped down and began tailing them silently.

"Don't worry, you're going to have fun, so stop being scared," one of them said mockingly.

"Please… let me go… I don't want to be touched," the girl pleaded, her voice trembling. Fear and disgust twisted her face. She looked like she was on the verge of tears—trapped, with no way to escape.

The men started grabbing her by the hair and touching her neck, grinning menacingly.

I couldn't stand by any longer. I stepped forward.

"Excuse me, but… isn't it wrong to treat a woman like that?" I asked, my tone steady.

It wasn't something to laugh about, but the men burst into laughter the moment they saw me. Only the girl looked at me—with a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Hey, kid, scram. This has nothing to do with you. Get lost while you still can, unless you want a beating," one of them threatened.

His words only made me stand firmer.

"Sorry to disappoint you… but I came here to save this young lady. That is, if she wants me to," I replied.

The girl nodded slowly, despite the fear pressing down on her.

Using wind magic, I shot forward—faster than any human could ever perceive. With just my bare hands, I struck.

The first man took a direct hit to the face, knocking him out almost instantly. I then slammed him into the second guy, dropping them both like sacks of flour.

The third one was shaking, clutching the girl as a hostage. So this was what cowards looked like...

"Stay back or I'll kill her!" he shouted, holding a knife to her.

But before I could do anything, she elbowed him right in the nose, followed by a swift kick to his legs, knocking him down.

I was stunned. Why didn't she do that earlier instead of waiting for help?

To top it off, she easily snatched the knife from his hands.

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After we tied them up and gagged them to keep things quiet, we took a moment to talk.

"You really surprised me. I didn't think a boy your age would have combat skills. It's the first time I've seen a young lady fight, though," she said with a smile.

"Don't give me too much credit," I replied, scratching the back of my neck. "Actually… I'm the one who's surprised. I didn't expect a strange girl like you to fight back so confidently."

I felt oddly nervous… maybe because she was around my age?

"Ah, let me introduce myself. My name is Withe Marie, I'm the daughter of the Withe family, and I'm fourteen years old."

"Oh, what a coincidence. I'm also fourteen. My name is Kael. Nice to meet you," I said, still feeling a bit shy.

I didn't know why, but I felt nervous. Maybe because I was talking to a girl my age?

She nodded, and just as she was about to ask me something, the alarm I had set went off.

"Damn, I'm sorry Miss Withe, I have to go," I said hurriedly.

She tried to stop me, but it was already too late. She threw out one last question:

"Hey, Kael… will we see each other again?"

I jumped toward the nearest tree, landing softly before answering.

"Who knows. Maybe yes, maybe no. That will be decided by the future. Well… until then."

With those words, I walked away. Once I was far enough, I used teleportation to get home quickly.

I appeared in my room. The light was on, the bed was neat, and the books were in their place, just as I had left them.

I put the mask away in the drawer without anyone noticing.

Just as I finished, Mom appeared, opening the door.

"Kael, pack your clothes in a suitcase. You're going to the capital to study," she said calmly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Wait, Mom… to the capital…?"