I WAS The Rank–1 Hero-Chapter 58: The Name That Shook The World [2]

"Lilith."

Lilith? Will? God? Authority?

Defender questioned himself. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it

What mattered was the figure hovering above them—the one who called herself Lilith.

"I will ask again," Lilith declared, slightly leveling herself just above the ground, "Who holds the Authority?"

Her crimson gaze swept over the students, piercing into their souls. Their bodies trembled under her gaze, some even lost their footing and fell backward.

"No one?"

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This time, her presence grew heavier. The dense, suffocating aura pressing down on them doubled in intensity.

They all fell to their knees.

"Ugh!"

Even Defender, who had stood his ground so many times before—was powerless before her.

"Ugh!" He growled, forcing himself to stay upright by gripping his sword.

Who… is… she?!

He tried to recall, but he got no luck, all those book he had once studied never mentioned a being as fearsome as her.

His eyelids felt heavy, his whole body shaking under the crushing weight of her presence.

Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on his sword, barely managing to remain on his feet.

He locked eyes on his target—the last Angel, Lilith.

But before he could react—

She appeared right in front of him.

It hadn’t even taken a blink.

"!"

His momentum shattered, his sword slipped from his grasp.

"You are capable," Lilith murmured, her voice amused.

She had witnessed his unyielding will.

"Sometimes, humans amuse me," she said, tracing a delicate finger through Defender’s silver hair.

His body reacted violently, shuddering as if rejecting her touch.

’W-Why can’t I move?!’

"Your willpower is strong," she spoke, pulling her hand away.

Then, placing a hand on her chin, she tilted her head in thought.

"Impressive. If I didn’t exist, you might have become the next holder of Will."

"Cough!...ugh!.."

The aura coursed through out the forest made him nauseating.

His stomach churned.

Weakness.

The power of her Authority taking shape, with enough exposure of her mere presence, every being looses it’s will.

"Give up." Lilith spoke.

"… Yes. I shall give up." Defender answered, his eyes lost their light.

"What about the kids?" Lilith asked, this time her voice was cold, stripped away from any natural feeling.

"I don’t care," he answered, his voice hollow.

"They are beyond saving."

A satisfied grin crept across Lilith’s face.

The students witnessed everything.

Yet, they refused to believe it.

From the last two days, they had seen how hard Defender had fought for them—how much he had endured for them.

"Lies…"

A silver-haired girl, blood dripping from her nose, whispered through clenched teeth.

"Hmm?"

Lilith turned toward her, intrigued.

"My, another one!"

The silver her girl looked to the ground where the double-digit hero laid.

""I-It’s alright," she whispered, a weak smile forming on her bloodstained lips.

She met Defender’s gaze—and held it.

"We all trust you."

Lilith sighed.

"Humans really are—!"

SPRUTT!

Just as Lilith was about to finish, a long sword pierced from her back.

She was taken a back. Turning her head she found Defender behind her, a long sword extended from his hand pierced right through her chest.

"I-I’m not giving up." His whole body trembled, blood dripped from his eyes, nose, and ears.

He was in really bad condition, as if any moment, he will die.

"I took a liking to you human,"

Lilith’s voice was unfazed of any pain.

"But… you made a wrong choice."

She raised her finger, and placed it right in front of Defender’s forehead, he didn’t get a chance to react.

"You shall learn some manners."

Almost instantly he found his head spinning, the darkness surrounding the forest engulfed him.

"AAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

A horrifying, ear-piercing scream tore through the forest.

The sound alone made every student’s soul tremble.

Cracks spread across Defender’s skin.

His veins bulged grotesquely, his eyes drowned in a crimson blood.

His face…

His skin peeled away—falling in a bloody chunks—exposing raw, glistening muscle.

It was vision of pure horror.

The students watched, frozen in terror.

They dared not move.

They knew better.

He was only the first.

They were next.

Lilith let go of Defender’s twitching body.

"Now behave."

His body lay motionless on the cold ground, his red-muscles exposed to the air, sending chills through his body.

Yet...

He was still breathing.

Lilith now hovering to the air, looked beneath her, the small young humans trembled in fear.

She again demanded.

"Who holds the Authority?"

All stood frozen.

"No one?" she tilted her head, recalling her master Nathalia’s words.

"Weird…"

She was sure that an Authority holder was near her.

’Was it an error?’ She thought.

She hurriedly halted her thought, Nathalia’s judgement were never wrong.

If her master told her there was an Authority Holder nearby… then there was one.

She was loosing her patience, if she returned empty handed to her master—only God knows what she will do next.

A decision formed in her mind.

"Alright then," she murmured.

"I have no use for any of you."

She raised her hand.

And the pressure returned.

"AGH—!"

"UGH—!"

Screams filled the forest.

Blood spilled.

They were helpless.

Without Defender…

They were nothing before her.

They pleaded in their minds.

For a miracle.

For salvation.

For anyone—anything—to save them.

But they knew better.

No one was coming.

They had endured too much. The starvation, the endless terror.

Their bodies had reached their limits. Their will—shattered soon.

Some, who barely conscious, murmured a single word—

"Mother..."

They had lost all faith.

And they accepted their deaths.

But then—

The pressure vanished.

The suffocating force was gone.

For a moment, silence prevailed.

Then, the students who still had the strength lifted their heads—

—And what they saw sent raw, searing power surging through their souls.

There, floating in the moonlight—

Lilith’s body hovered. Headless.

A moment passed. Their minds failed to register what had just happened—until they saw him.

A figure clad in black.

His white hair shone under the moonlight, his face obscured by a black mask. And in his right hand—

A severed head, dripping with blood.

Held by its obsidian-black hair.

The students’ eyes widened. Their breaths hitched.

A single glowing number shines into his chest—

01.

Someone choked on their words.

"H-Hope."

Like a divine grace, that single word shattered all their despair.

Their eyes, once empty, revived with light.

"We-We will be safe!"

"H-Hope…!"

Their voices trembled, not with fear—but with belief.

Blinded trust.

End of Chapter.