The ruined throne hall was quiet—too quiet for a battlefield that had shaken the continent just hours earlier. Moonlight filtered through the shattered ceiling, falling over broken pillars, collapsed murals, and long streaks of dried ash where devils and humans had clashed. Dust still drifted in the air like pale snow.
Mia and Amelia stepped inside cautiously, each step echoing through the empty palace. Both women were injured, exhausted, and mentally frayed from the battles outside—but the moment they saw the curled silhouette at the center of the hall, exhaustion disappeared.
Because there, leaning against a fallen throne, was Zero.
And curled protectively around him—arms wrapped tightly, wings half-spread, silver hair dimly glowing—
was the devil girl they had seen earlier.
Lilith.
Zero's head rested on her lap, his breathing uneven, his mana leaking out in unstable waves.
Mia froze.
Amelia's throat tightened.
