—A few hours earlier, after Raze killed the shape-shifting demon—
Raze stepped out of the abandoned wing, the faint smell of blood still clinging to him.
The hallway outside was silent, lit only by dim lanterns.
Then—
A presence.
Someone was following him.
Raze halted and turned sharply.
A few steps behind him stood the princess. She froze for a moment, startled at being caught.
Raze's gaze softened just slightly, calm but sharp.
"Is there something you need from me, Princess?"
She breathed in, regaining her royal composure.
"Hello, Mister Kyler," she said softly, her tone carrying quiet arrogance. "There's… something I want to talk about."
Raze's voice stayed flat.
"I'm listening."
She hesitated, then lowered her voice.
"Not here. Come with me. The east balcony—there are fewer people."
Raze nodded.
They walked through the dim corridor, footsteps echoing until they stepped onto the secluded balcony overlooking moonlit gardens. A cool breeze rustled the nightflowers, filling the air with a sweet scent.
Raze stood still, eyes unreadable.
"Now, you can tell me."
The princess straightened, posture perfect, voice controlled and almost commanding.
"As you know, Kyler… you're an extra. That means you won't train at the academy like your classmates or your teacher."
Raze's eyes sharpened slightly.
"You'll be assigned dangerous missions—spying on demons, gathering information, facing threats no one else would. It's a death sentence."
Her gaze locked onto his.
"Just like the extras who didn't survive before you."
Raze waited silently.
"But…" she continued, lifting her chin with pride, "I can save you from that fate."
Raze raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You'll save me? But not for free, I assume. So… what do I have to do?"
A small smile tugged at her lips.
"You're not a dumb teenager like your classmates. Good. That makes this simpler."
He tilted his head.
"Why me? And what do you want?"
"For the first question," she said, tapping her arm lightly, "you must've heard about me. Even if you're a loner."
Raze stayed silent.
"I inherited an ability from my mother—her senses. She was the most sensitive in the kingdom. She could detect demonic aura even when artifacts hid it."
The princess paused.
"I'm not as strong as she was. I can't sense through artifacts. But I can still detect something ordinary people cannot."
She folded her arms.
"There is a demon inside this castle. I sensed it. But it will run if it notices someone like me… or Knight Seraphina… approaching."
Then she pointed at Raze.
"But you? You're perfect. You have sharp senses, yet you're incredibly hard to sense—even for me. The demon won't detect you until it's too late."
She leaned in slightly.
"All you have to do is catch it. You can't kill it, of course, but capturing it is enough."
Raze unexpectedly let out a small, quiet laugh.
Not loud.
Not mocking.
Just a slip.
The princess frowned.
"…Why are you smiling, Kyler?"
Raze shook his head.
"It's nothing, Princess. Go on."
Suspicious, she narrowed her eyes but continued.
"You asked how I will save you. It's simple. I will make you my knight—my personal knight. If you serve under me, you won't be sent to death missions. You'll stay inside the palace."
Raze blinked once.
I expected something interesting… but this is it?
"Hmmm…" he murmured. "But I don't think you're the type to offer something so kind without a reason. You had other options. So there must be something else you want… right?"
Her lips curled into a proud, confident smirk.
"You're more intelligent than you look. So yes… there is something more."
She stepped closer, voice dropping into a serious whisper.
"You have to—"
Flashback ends.
---
Present
"Okay… I will help you," Raze said, voice low and teasing.
"After all, I am your childhood friend."
He stepped closer, his shadow swallowing her trembling figure.
"And… sorry for this," he whispered.
Before Mia could react—
his hand snapped across her face.
A precise, controlled strike.
Her vision burst white.
Her knees buckled.
She collapsed instantly, unconscious.
A faint bruise formed on her cheek.
Raze crouched beside her, gently brushing away her tears.
"Sleep for now… leave the rest to me."
Scene cuts—
---
Castle Hall
A deep rumble echoed as the towering doors swung open.
The same hall where they were first summoned.
The same glowing summoning circle pulsing weakly.
The same cold statues lining the walls.
But now…
the air felt heavier.
Colder.
Raze stepped inside—calm, silent—Mia unconscious in his arms.
Gasps exploded.
"K-Kail…?"
"Is that blood!?"
"What happened to them!?"
Kail's lifeless body lay behind Raze, dragged in and dropped like evidence.
The king rose sharply from his throne.
Summoner Eldrick went pale.
Princess Arlia covered her mouth.
Guards tightened formation.
Their teacher rushed forward, eyes widening at Mia's bruise.
"Raze—what is the meaning of this!?"
Raze didn't flinch.
Standing under the hall's light, surrounded by horrified faces, he looked calm.
Almost bored.
Students whispered:
"Is that really Kail?"
"Why isn't he moving?"
"No way… he's dead?"
"What happened out there…?"
The king's voice boomed:
"Raze. Explain what happened."
Eldrick trembled.
"H-How did a hero candidate die inside the castle… at night…?"
Raze ignored them for a moment.
He looked at a nearby maid frozen stiff.
"You. Take her and treat her injuries. Do not wake her."
The maid jumped and hurried to carry Mia away.
Whispers grew louder:
"Mia's hurt too…"
"What attacked them…?"
"Why is Kail dead…?"
Then—
thud.
A guard entered, dragging another corpse.
Not human.
Twisted limbs.
Distorted skin.
They dropped it beside Kail.
"We brought it… as you ordered, sir Raze."
Shock rippled through the hall.
"W-What IS that!?"
"Its face— it's changing—!"
"A monster inside the castle!?"
"A demon…!?"
Raze finally spoke.
---
Raze's Explanation
"It happened in the abandoned wing," Raze said steadily.
"Kail told me to meet him there… to settle our earlier argument."
Students stiffened.
"When I arrived, Mia was already there. We began talking.
Then—out of nowhere—a guard rushed in and attacked us."
Gasps.
"He was strong—too strong. Kail fought to protect Mia and me… but he was overwhelmed."
Raze glanced at Kail's body.
"Mia tried to help him. She got injured.
Kail and the attacker clashed with everything they had… and in that final exchange—
the attacker's sword pierced Kail."
Some students covered their mouths.
Others stepped back.
"And when the attacker died… he changed."
Raze pointed to the twisted corpse beside Kail.
"He wasn't a guard.
He was a shape-shifting demon."
Silence crushed the hall.
The king's eyes hardened.
Eldrick staggered.
Students stared in horror.
A demon inside the castle.
Kail dead.
Mia unconscious.
And Raze standing alone.
Raze finally spoke again, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable weight.
"…But there is still something left I have to say."
The king's eyes narrowed, sharp and attentive.
"There is more?" he asked, confusion cutting into his tone. "What else happened, Raze?"
Every student fell silent. Even the guards froze. The hall seemed to hold its breath.
Raze lifted his head slightly. His expression remained composed… but there was something colder in his eyes now.
"When the demon attacked us," he said slowly, "we weren't the only ones there."
A ripple of unease passed through the hall.
"What do you mean?" Eldrick asked, voice trembling.
"There was someone else," Raze continued.
"Someone who didn't attack… didn't help… didn't say a word."
He looked around the hall, scanning the faces.
"He was just watching."
Whispers erupted immediately:
"Watching?" "There was someone else?" "Who was it!?"
Raze's gaze sharpened, cutting through the panic.
"And I'm certain," he said, "that he was the mastermind behind all of this."
The king's voice boomed again:
"A mastermind? Inside my castle?
Raze—who is he?"
Raze didn't answer immediately.
He slowly raised his arm…
then pointed.
Every head turned in the direction of his outstretched finger.
Gasps.
Shuffling steps.
Wide eyes.
Raze's voice was low, steady, deadly serious:
"He is…"