Present, Shortly After the Battle
"ASHER!!!"
Luci woke with a jolt, gasping for breath, his scream echoing through the royal tent. His body was drenched in sweat, his muscles taut as if he had just fallen from a nightmare. He blinked rapidly, struggling to make sense of his surroundings.
He was no longer on the battlefield.
The sounds of war had vanished, replaced by the rhythmic creaking of wagon wheels on dirt and the steady march of soldiers' boots. Through the slightly open tent flaps, he glimpsed the banners of Camellia swaying in the wind.
He was on his way back to his castle.
It took him a moment to piece everything together. The last thing he remembered was the battle… Asher… his eyes… his name, lost in the chaos… and then, nothing.
A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Finally awake, my prince."
Lucio, his second-in-command and most trusted friend, sat beside him, relief evident in his expression. He held out a waterskin.
"Here, drink. You've been unconscious for a full day, we were starting to worry."
Luci hesitated for a moment, still disoriented, then took the waterskin and drank a few gulps. The cool water soothed his parched throat.
"Where are we?" he asked, handing it back.
Lucio leaned against a travel chest.
"On our way home. Your men found you unconscious on the battlefield, covered in ashes and completely drained. No one really understands what happened, but the demons suddenly stopped fighting and retreated, as abruptly as they had appeared. We're lucky, they were on the verge of reducing every human army to cinders."
Luci frowned.
The demons withdrew… why?
Lucio continued, as if reading his mind.
"I suspect they managed to establish their new hierarchy, and the remaining Overlords finally ordered an end to their territorial disputes. In any case, as soon as we recovered you, I gave the order to retreat. Your wounds were severe, and staying there would have been too dangerous. We're heading back to the capital. The Pope won't be calling for another Holy War anytime soon."
Luci lowered his gaze to his body. His torn battle garments had been replaced with a clean tunic, and bandages wrapped his torso and arms. He could still feel the faint tingling of healing magic working through his skin.
But none of that mattered.
Asher…
The memories crashed over him like waves.
His gaze, his wings, his body shielding his own…
His fingers instinctively brushed against his pinky, where a small, crude golden ring rested. He clenched his hand around it, as if to confirm that it was real.
Lucio arched an eyebrow.
"So… who is this Asher?"
As always, Lucio read him like an open book, hitting the mark more precisely than any of Luci's own arrows. The prince didn't answer right away. He was still struggling to understand what he felt. His heart was beating too fast.
Instead, he diverted the conversation.
"What do we know about the survivors from both sides?"
Lucio looked momentarily surprised by the shift but answered nonetheless.
"The human kings made it out alive, but their armies are in shambles. It will take them time to rebuild before they can strike again."
He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure whether to continue.
"And the demons?" Luci prompted.
Lucio sighed.
"Fortunately, Lilith herself didn't deem it necessary to intervene, but some of her offspring did. Several Demon Lords were killed, often by their own kind. As a result, the survivors have only grown stronger. Hard to say whether they lost more Overlords today than they created…"
Luci clenched his jaw. Demons fighting among themselves…
"And the names of the surviving Overlords?"
Lucio nodded, sorting through his thoughts.
"I believe we saw Azazel, Buer, Astaroth, Baal, Paimon, Ignis… and a new name that's been circulating: Abaddon."
Luci committed them to memory. But there was only one name he truly cared about.
He hesitated before asking, "And Asher?"
Lucio looked caught off guard.
"Asher? So it's a demon?" He combed through his memory, then shook his head. "That name means nothing to me. At the very least, he wasn't among the fallen Demon Lords we identified."
Luci felt his heart skip a beat. That meant he could still be alive.
His gaze dropped to his ring, his fingers tracing its worn edges absentmindedly.
Asher survived all these years… and despite everything, he tried to protect me. Why?
A memory surged forward with brutal clarity. The warmth of his embrace, the sensation of wings enveloping him… and above all, the rainbow flames that had failed to consume him.
Luci lifted his head.
"Lucio… what do you know about demons resistant to the Eternal Flames?"
Lucio stiffened.
"You… you saw one?!" His voice wavered with disbelief. "You saw those flames up close?"
Luci nodded slowly.
"Is there something wrong?"
Lucio ran a hand over his face, clearly uneasy.
"Let's just say it's a miracle you're still alive. The Eternal Flames are a unique gift, passed down only to Lilith's direct descendants. It's what allows her to impose her dominance over all demons."
Luci's fingers brushed over his ring.
"And those who can withstand it?"
Lucio pressed his lips into a thin line.
"It's extremely rare. Outside of Lilith's bloodline, the only mentions in the archives speak of certain dragons who could survive it, but… that was before they disappeared."
A chill ran down Luci's spine.
A Demon Lord… a dragon…
He recalled Asher standing firm against Ignis's flames. He had pushed them back.
That was no small feat. It meant he was strong. Stronger than Luci had ever imagined. Perhaps strong enough to crush him if he wanted to. And yet… despite everything… he had chosen to protect him.
A strange warmth spread through Luci's chest. Without realizing it, a small smile crept onto his lips.
Lucio didn't miss it.
"Luc… My prince, what's got you smiling like that?" he asked with a teasing smirk.
Luci jolted slightly, turning away, a faint flush rising to his cheeks.
"N-nothing!"
Lucio burst into laughter.
"Ahah, if you say so! It's just… I think this might be the first time I've seen you smile at something other than beating me to a pulp during training. It's refreshing!"
Luci groaned, still red.
"Shut up, Lucio."
"Alright, alright! Sensitive topic, I see!" Lucio raised his hands in surrender, still amused. "Rest up a bit more, you need it. I'll take care of the troops, don't worry."
Luci let out a long breath and sank back into his pillow.
"… Lucio?"
Lucio paused. "Yeah?"
Luci hesitated for a moment, then murmured, "… Thanks."
He couldn't meet his friend's gaze as he said it.
Lucio blinked in surprise before offering a small, knowing smile.
"… Don't mention it. I'm your shadow. That's my role, after all."
Something in Luci's expression darkened at those words, but he didn't argue. He let Lucio exit the tent, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
As the silence settled around him once more, the prince clenched his ring between his fingers.
Asher…
His body was healing.
But his heart… his heart had just been thrown into a storm far greater than any battle. A storm that kept stirring up long-buried memories of a young prince… and a gentle demon.