Inside the throne room, chaos echoed off the marble walls.
His Majesty stood tall, though visibly tense, and Princess Maya was close by, her face pale with fear.
I burst into the room, sword in hand, followed by the remaining soldiers.
"Evacuate His Majesty and Princess Maya!" I ordered, pointing toward the side entrance. "Have the others stall those golems as long as they can!"
"Yes, Sir Alve!" they responded, immediately moving to follow my command.
Then… a voice.
"Oh, so you're the outsider I've heard about," came a mocking tone from the other side of the room.
The hooded figure stepped forward, peeling back his cloak.
Horns. Crimson eyes. That unmistakable presence.
"_A demon._"
I'd never seen one before—but I knew.
It wasn't just the horns or his appearance.
It was the **feeling**. The sheer pressure in the air.
And yet, the bigger question gnawed at me:
_How did a demon even get this far into the city—let alone breach the royal palace undetected?_
"Oh? You can tell I'm a demon?" he chuckled, his smirk condescending.
"Why waste your life, outsider? This isn't your fight. Just turn around and walk away."
I tightened my grip on the sword, heart pounding.
"Because I gave my word to a friend."
The demon laughed—loud and cruel. "_That's_ your reason? That's the dumbest thing I've heard in centuries!"
"I know it's dumb," I said, stepping forward. "But hey—what can I say? I _like_ being dumb."
Without waiting another second, I lunged.
Flames surged toward me as the demon cast a fire spell, hurling a burning wave in my direction.
_I can't win this fight._
I wasn't a hero.
Not an adventurer.
Not a knight.
I'd never fought anything more dangerous than goblins—barely a threat compared to what stood before me now.
But still—
If I had to try.
Even if it was just to buy time.
I have to use everything I have, I reached out—to the **air** around me.
To the **flow** of mana.
Faint, yet familiar. Gentle. Cold.
I didn't pull it towards my hand like before—
I let it **gather** at the **tip of my blade**.
Denser...
Sharper…
Solidified mana wrapped the edge of the sword, gleaming faintly like crystallized wind.
As the fire approached, I swung.
_SHRRK!_
The flaming spell split apart, severed by my mana-forged blade—
And in that moment, I closed the distance.
I **stabbed** the demon.
The sword pierced through his side.
"You bastard...!" he roared in pain. "You little brat! I told you—stay out of this fight!"
Snarling, he hurled another fire spell at me, point-blank.
_BOOM!_
It slammed into my chest, launching me backward. I crashed against the wall hard, coughing as the pain flared through my ribs.
Sliding to the floor, my vision blurred…
"…Now I've really done it…" I muttered, barely able to stay conscious.