---
Battle
Lucien's eyes widened as his chest was pierced through. By Kuro's right hand, brimming with surging dark magic.
He didn't even have time to scream. As Kuro pulled his hand free, Lucien collapsed into the snow, staining the pure white ground crimson with his blood. Selvaria stiffened, breath catching. She hadn't even seen the strike.
"...Impossible..." she whispered, clutching at a deep, bleeding gash on her side. She fell to her knees, trembling violently.
"I knew it... Kuro... You're not human. You're... a demon worse than true demons..." Kuro's cold eyes bore into her. He slowly began to close the distance.
His voice sounded soft, almost kind. "You're mistaken, Selvaria-sensei... I'm just an ordinary student."
With another swift motion, her body fell lifelessly beside Lucien's. Kuro stood silently, snow falling around him. He wasn't smiling. He was simply waiting, and his shadow slowly faded away.
---
The Past of Lucien and Selvaria
Before their deaths, their memories lingered like fading embers.
Lucien Vael was born to a noble demon family. His life was disciplined but unremarkable. He grew strong in sword and sorcery, yet he never craved glory. He merely wanted to survive the Demon Empire's brutal hierarchy.
Selvaria Nocturne was different. A prodigy in magic from a young age, she bore the burden of great expectations. The Nocturne lineage served directly under the Great Demon Lord. Cold and sharp, she grew up with a razor's intellect but little warmth.
They met as children in the Empire's training grounds. Rivals at first, they eventually became comrades.
Selvaria once asked him:
"Lucien,are demons weapons... or puppets? Which would you choose to be?"
Lucien hid the discomfort in his chest and smiled back.
"I would be a weapon,but by my own choice. Not someone else's."
Years later, their strength and intellect caught the eye of the First Summoned Hero. He saw them not as comrades, but as chess pieces. He praised them, elevated them as his "hands," and sent them as spies into human lands.
They obeyed until the end... unaware they were being used.
---
Lucien's Final Thought
As Kuro's hand pierced through him, Lucien's final image was not of his life, but of Kuro's face.
"That boy... he's not human, that fiend. Worse than demons. He... carries the darkness of a deity... worse than the Dark Magic God himself..."
His world went dark.
---
The First Summoned Hero's Scheme
In a distant fortress within the Demon Empire, the First Summoned Hero listened to a report. His two trusted subordinates, Lucien and Selvaria, were dead.
He showed no dismay. Instead, his lips curled into a thin smile.
"So, the Darkness Lord has made a move. Good... Very good."
A soldier knelt before him. "My Lord, shall we release the Assassin?"
Behind him, in the shadows, a figure knelt silently. A half-human, half-beast girl with ears like a brown wolf twitching and a tail giving a single flick. Her amber eyes burned coldly, her presence silent yet lethal.
The Hero raised a hand. "Not yet. She is my final card. Let the Darkness Lord believe he's winning on the board... until I make my move."
The Assassin bowed her head without a word.
---
The Great Demon Lord's Knowledge
In the black fortress of the Demon Empire, the Great Demon Lord sat on his throne, listening to his ministers.
"Over a hundred are missing from Valerion," a general reported. "278 confirmed dead, including the spies Selvaria and Lucien."
The Great Demon Lord's crimson eyes narrowed.
"No...It wasn't humans. Nor was it demons. This is... the handiwork of the Darkness Lord, Shujin."
The room fell silent. That name sent shivers even through the demon lords.
---
Return to Ironwood - The Interrogation
Days later, in Valerion's royal capital, Kuro lay on a cot in the temple infirmary. His wounds were shallow, but his arms were wrapped in bandages.
Two soldiers stood by his bedside with stern faces.
"Kuro Velgrith,you're the sole survivor. Tell us what happened."
Kuro stirred weakly, his voice a practiced whisper. "I saw them... Lucien and Selvaria-sensei. They were fighting demons. When they noticed me, Selvaria-sensei yelled for me to run. I tried to help but... I was too late. More demons arrived..." His voice broke. "They were killed right in front of me."
The soldiers exchanged troubled looks.
"A demon saw me. I tried to fight back but... I was no match. Somehow, I managed to trick it and escape. I don't even know how I'm still alive."
The soldiers' gazes softened. They had seen Kuro's Academy records, his documented mediocre magical ability. A boy of his level couldn't have killed a powerful demon.
"...We understand," one soldier sighed. "You're a lucky boy. We'll record your statement. Get some rest."
Word arrived from outside. Selvaria and Lucien's bodies had been found. Their wounds matched demon attacks. The investigation was concluded.
---
Princess Alisa's Doubt
Alisa had been in the royal palace during the Demon Hunt Day, so she wasn't in the protected building. Later, Alisa stood by her window, watching snow fall outside.
"...Demons killing each other?" she murmured. "Why would demons kill Selvaria and Lucien?"
Her eyes narrowed, a sharp thought piercing her chest. But she shook her head. "No... That makes no sense. I can't suspect without evidence."
Yet, the question remained. She wondered, "...Was it because of Kuro?"
---
The Temple's Arrival
On the streets of Valerion, priests and holy knights from the Elmyria Temple moved through the wreckage. They prayed for the dead, blessed broken homes, and purified the city with waves of holy light.
At their head, the Temple's Cardinal, a lofty figure in white and gold vestments, raised his staff. "Let there be no more corruption. The Goddess's light shall restore this place."
As they traversed the streets, the Cardinal's eyes suddenly stopped on Ryuto.
The boy paused as the Cardinal's gaze fell upon him.
"Young man..." the Cardinal said, his eyes narrowing as he studied the faint, unconscious golden aura shimmering around Ryuto. "...Such pure light. Tell me your name, boy."
"I-It's Ryuto," he stammered.
The Cardinal offered a faint smile. "Ryuto... The Goddess has blessed you with a purity of power unlike any I've seen. You must come with me. We have much to discuss."
From a distance, Saria gasped, and even Alisa looked surprised.
Ryuto glanced uncertainly towards the infirmary, where Kuro still lay feigning sleep.
"Kuro... what should I do?"
---
✦ To be continued...