Byron / Luciferus POV
A soft breeze drifted through the high halls of the Demon King's castle. The morning sun, filtered through crystalline windows, scattered fragments of light across the polished obsidian floors. Byron—known to this world as Luciferus, the Avatar of Sin—had just concluded his daily sparring session with Aisha.
"Your Majesty, your lunch is ready in the garden," a soft-spoken half-dragon maid announced. Behind her, several other attendants moved in perfect synchronization, approaching him with the care and precision expected of those who served royalty.
Byron sighed internally as he allowed them to remove his training robes and dress him in his regal attire.
"Still can't get used to being dressed like a doll."
He thought back to the first time Aisha had done it herself. The awkwardness, the flustered silence… and her hauntingly emotionless stare when he tried to protest. He'd learned quickly not to resist.
Moments later, he was gliding through the hallways, exuding an aura of composed royalty. It was an act—one he'd mastered to avoid the wrath of both Aisha and his tireless etiquette tutor.
The garden behind the castle was more a royal paradise than a simple courtyard: rolling lawns of silver grass, flowers that shimmered with ethereal glow, and a small lake that reflected the endless sky. At the far end, atop a marble platform shaded by violet blossoms, a lavish table had been set.
Byron had barely taken a seat and lifted his fork when a ghostly figure burst into view, slightly translucent and flickering.
"Your Majesty!" the spirit called out, panic evident in its voice. "You are needed immediately!"
Byron's crimson and black aura flared violently in annoyance, causing the spirit to shrink back.
"Interrupting my lunch?"
"What is it?" he growled.
"I-I apologize, Your Majesty… Duke Flare has sent word… he requests your presence urgently."
Byron stood slowly, letting the air thicken with his silence before replying.
"Tch. Fine. Let's go."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!" the spirit stammered.
"I wasn't talking to you."
With perfect timing, Aisha's massive shadow passed over the garden. The next moment, she landed beside the lake in her full dragon form, scales glittering like polished silver.
"You called, Your Majesty," she rumbled, her voice shaking the flowerbeds.
"We're heading to Duke Flare's territory."
A single mighty flap of her wings sent a shockwave through the courtyard—and in a flash of motion, they were airborne.
Adriaan / Reages POV
Inside the war chamber of Duke Flare's stronghold, a long crystal table projected vivid magical displays above its surface—maps, images, and ethereal pulses of energy. Around it, sat the elite: the Demon King himself, the Grand Duke, and the rest of the Demon Dukes, joined by a few Spirit Knights standing guard.
Adriaan—Reages Flare, Duke of Flames—cleared his throat and bowed slightly.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice."
He stepped aside, gesturing to Mans—Maximilian Klementine, the Duke of the West—to take over.
Mans smirked, clearly enjoying his brief moment as center of attention. "As most of you know, the forests of Duke Flare's territory run along the western border of my land."
The Dukes nodded.
"Now, observe the crystal."
The table shimmered, showing a broad, bird's-eye view of the Twilight Territory's terrain: the icy wastelands of the north, the blazing canyons of the south, the vibrant coastal regions to the east, and the shared interior territories of the Demon Dukes.
"Of all the Twilight Territory " Mans continued, "only three outer zones could support human life. The rest—deserts, mountains, ice fields—are mostly inhospitable. That's why we've built our dominion within the central Twilight Territory."
"Get to the point," Lysander (Lerenso) said, clearly bored.
"My point is—there are signs of human habitation... outside the western edge of my territory, past the Spirit Forest."
That got everyone's attention.
"You're saying there are people living out there?" Byron asked, skeptical.
"Not people. Humans," Mans corrected. "And not just a couple. It's a full-fledged village."
Aiden / Zackary POV
Aiden—Zackary Grey Vermillion—leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands.
"When did this start?"
Adriaan resumed speaking, eyes flickering with restrained irritation.
"Eighteen years ago, apparently. A human couple fled into the Spirit Forest with their five children, running from monsters. The forest spirits, moved by compassion, protected them. The couple mistook it as permission to stay."
He paused.
"Their children befriended both spirits and Dark Elves over time. As their bond grew, the elves allowed them to fell some trees and build a home. Word spread—wanderers, outcasts, exiled adventurers… they gathered there. Within fifteen years, the place had grown into a real village."
The room fell silent. The only sound was the low hum of the projection.
"So they're living peacefully with the spirits and Dark Elves?" Ashiq (Vlad Constantine) asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Exactly," Adriaan confirmed. "That's not the problem."
He exhaled.
"Yesterday, knights from the Dusk Kingdom and Sunlight Empire arrived. They demanded to know how humans managed to live among Dark Elves and spirits. When they got no answers, they left a warning—next time, they'll burn the village down."
Reactions and Decisions
The table buzzed with tension.
"And this affects us how?" Kleano (Sebastian Tempest) muttered.
"It affects us because our subordinates—the Dark Elves and spirits—want to protect these humans," Aiden said plainly.
Adriaan nodded. "They've pleaded with both me and Duke Klementine to officially take the village under our protection."
"And you can't make that decision alone," Aiden added.
"So, what's everyone think?" Byron asked. His voice carried a king's weight.
"I don't care either way," Lerenso shrugged.
"I find it... interesting," Isipho (Xoraxys Stardumn) murmured.
"I don't mind," Cornê (Leon Hydra) said, folding his arms.
"I agree. They might be useful," Ashiq added.
"If the spirits trust them, I'll trust them too," Aiden said calmly.
Byron smirked.
"Then it's settled."
Spirits and knights in the room sighed with relief.
"Wait... who's going to talk to the humans?" Cornê suddenly asked.
The room went dead silent.
"Not me," Adriaan said immediately.
"Yeah, hell no," Mans added.
"Grand Duke Vermillion will go," Isipho said innocently.
"What?!"
"With Duke Constantine, of course," Byron added with a grin.
Aiden and Ashiq exchanged looks.
"Meeting dismissed," Byron said, already walking out.
Ashiq and Aiden
As the crowd dispersed, Ashiq groaned.
"I swear, Byron dumps everything on us."
"We're the only ones with any tact," Aiden replied, rubbing his temples.
"You mean I have tact. You just have resting 'serious guy' face."
"...Shut up."
They both laughed—bitterly, but it was still a laugh.
"I guess we'd better start planning how to handle this before it turns into a political disaster," Ashiq said, his voice dropping to a more serious register.
Aiden nodded, his expression hardening.
"Humans. After all this time… I wonder what they'll see us as."