The angel told Agnes of the events during her summoning ritual. Ismael tried her best not to cry yet tears still fell down her peachy cheeks. No one could utter a single word or expression. There was only one thing they could feel… it was death.

Agnes wanted to dispose of the angel right then and there. If she could, she would have done it by the time she spoke the last word of her story. Her territory, her home, her playground, will all crumble due to the rookie’s blunder. In her memory, the previous guardian Samael never made that kind of gamble. He was decisive and the world’s survival was his priority above anything else. But this new guardian has risked it all because of some hero’s trivial feelings.

“How bad is the situation?” she asked Coco.

“Madam Boyle, the corruption is starting to take physical form. Even before the summoning ritual, there were already small beasts that succumbed to corruption. It would not be much longer until the energy spreads and causes havoc within communities. I have calculated our remaining time and we have exactly nine thousand one hundred and twenty eight days. During that time period, we would have to collect all of the hero’s fragments. Another summoning ritual is no longer possible, since it can only be done once in a millennia.”

“What if we fail?” she was quite calm. Like the calm before a storm.

“That would be the end of it. Not even you, the greatest mage, would be capable of defeating this world’s corruption.”

“Wouldn’t it help if I just kill them all?”

Agnes was deadly serious. She thought that she could just kill all of the sources of corruption. That would be the easiest way.

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“No.” The guardian finally spoke.

“It’s not that simple, Agnes. Even if I am incapable, I still have my duty of protecting this world and its dwellers. I cannot just let them die because of my mistake.”

The veins in Agnes’ head started to swell. The cup in her hand shattered and became dust. Like an erupting volcano, she raged towards Ismael.

“THEN WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU PROPOSING?! YOU WANT ME TO TRUST YOU?! EVEN IF I HELP YOU, WHAT EXACTLY CAN YOU EVEN DO?!!!!” she could no longer contain her emotions. A small hill exploded in the distance. The sky became dark and swirls of purple mists covered the entire region. Thunder and lightning rumbled throughout the continent. This was the wrath of an almighty mage. One that was powerful enough to be recognized by angels. If the guardian was unable to give a convincing answer, she would annihilate the dwellers right then and there.

Ismael could not speak. Her inexperience and emotions were swirling inside her. She knew what Agnes would do. She knew that she had no answer. She could only accept the mage’s anger.

(Is this the end..? I hope Samael does not see me like this. He trusted me so much… why me…? If only it was not me… maybe this would ne-)

“Adopt one of them.” Coco suddenly blurted out. Then there was complete silence.

The rumbling and raging skies quickly went blue. The poison fog dissipated within a second.

“pffffffttt… pfff… huhu…HUAHAHAHAHAHA!! ME?? YOU MUST BE CRAZIER THAN ME!! I WOULD RATHER KILL THEM ALL THAN WASTE TIME BABYSITTING YOUR FAILURE!!”

Yes. This is indeed the rumored ‘Mage of Madness’. There was no easy way going about it. Her temperament could easily mean disaster or salvation. But the mage was laughing. Despite the crazy banter of dismembering the foolish dwellers one by one and making jerky out of their organs, she was laughing like Coco said the joke of the century.

“I you would allow me to explain….” Coco transformed into a young man in his twenties. He wore sleek white pants and a loose grey shirt with a pair of sandals. While serving chocolate frosted devil cupcakes to the ladies, he spoke of what Agnes’ role would be in his plan to save the world.