Adrian stood up cautiously and headed toward the door to open it, but the moment he did, he immediately shut it again.
He retreated a few steps backward and sat on the bed, a faint smile spreading across his fear-filled face.
"Ha… I'm done for."
A group of demons were speaking outside the room as they walked, each one of them carrying an aura of strength and authority.
"Where did that damned demon bring me?!"
he muttered in anger and annoyance.
A cold, mocking voice cut through the room's silence:
"That damned demon… brought you to his palace."
Adrian turned around quickly to see the black-haired demon leaning against the wall, eating an apple.
"H-how did you get in here?!"
Adrian asked in shock.
The demon answered calmly, raising an eyebrow:
"Haa? I've been here the whole time. I quite enjoyed the insults you threw at me."
Adrian shouted:
"But I didn't see you when I woke up!!"
The demon replied indifferently:
"Oh, I didn't think you'd notice. I was using an invisibility spell."
Adrian asked,
"An invisibility spell?"
Then his eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Ah, right! I remember! I heard about it from my sister before."
The demon looked at him in surprise.
"Wait… if you only heard about it, does that mean you've never used it before?"
Adrian stayed silent without answering, and the demon smiled knowingly.
"Aha, I see… you can't use magic, can you?"
Adrian turned his gaze away in irritation, and the demon laughed mockingly:
"Hahaha! So you're a weak human! Which class are you from? Ah… that's right, you must be from Class Zero, aren't you?"
Adrian stayed coldly silent, so the demon continued:
"Hmm, your clothes don't make you look like a commoner, but nobles can use magic, and you don't… so does that mean you're…"
Then he suddenly shouted as if he had discovered the truth:
"A commoner wearing noble clothes to sneak into the palace and steal?!!"
Adrian was stunned by what he said.
"Haa?! Who are you calling a commoner, you idiot?! I am Prince Adrian of the Atheris Empire! But… for some reason I can't use magic, and I look like you stupid demons!"
The demon frowned and yelled:
"Hey!! Are you calling us scum?! And what about you humans? Aren't you the real filth?!"
Adrian yelled back:
"If we're filth, then you're worse! You walking pile of trash!"
"What did you just say, you useless brat?! Do you want to die?!"
"You wanna fight, you snake?!"
"As if you could even touch me, you insect!"
Their shouting match continued loudly, until they were interrupted by a demoness with short red hair and glowing eyes, wearing a black dress — short in the front and long in the back.
She spoke with clear annoyance:
"What are you two idiots doing? Why all this noise?"
The demon shouted in irritation:
"Shut up and get out of here, Lilith!"
She snapped back with sharp anger:
"You dare speak to me like that, you snake?!"
The demon yelled furiously:
"My name is Asura, you old hag!"
A chilling silence filled the room.
Adrian stepped back a little, smiling awkwardly:
"Heyy, snake… looks like you said something you shouldn't have."
Asura began stepping backward, trying to ease the situation:
"Hahaha… you think so too?"
Lilith slowly raised her hand in a terrifyingly calm motion, then stared at him with blazing eyes.
"What… did you just say?"
She paused for a moment before screaming:
"Die!!"
She unleashed her fire magic toward Asura, with Adrian caught within the attack's range.
"Wait!! Am I going to die like this?!"
Adrian muttered to himself in terror.
Asura grabbed Adrian by the arm and smashed through the wall, leaping out just before the place exploded behind them in a massive blast.
Outside, they hid inside a garbage cart, covering their mouths to avoid making a sound.
Lilith walked past the area with a terrifying smile as she spoke:
"My dear Asuraaa… where are you?"
But thankfully, she couldn't distinguish their scent among the trash, so she continued searching in vain.
After some time, they crawled out of the cart, gasping for air and coughing because of the stench.
"Kh… khh… damn you, Lilith… khhh," Asura said with bitterness and exhaustion.
Adrian remained silent, filling his lungs with air with difficulty.
"Alright, let's head back to the palace," Asura said, directing his words at Adrian.
Adrian stayed quiet for a moment before replying coldly:
"I think you're misunderstanding something… I'm human, and I need to return to where I belong."
Asura's eyebrow arched mockingly:
"What's the point of going back to that boring place? Besides, weren't you already rejected by your people?"
Adrian answered with firm indifference:
"I don't care what they think. I'm going back for one reason only."
"Revenge!"
Asura froze for a moment, then burst out laughing:
"Hahahaha… revenge? You?"
Adrian shouted in suppressed anger:
"Shut up, you snake!"
Asura calmed down a little before asking with irritating curiosity:
"And how exactly will you get revenge on that whole planet when you can't even use magic?"
Adrian's voice dimmed, then grew firm:
"Even if I can't use magic now, I won't give up. Those bastards deserve death."
Asura smiled with a conflicted expression, then said:
"Fine… I'll take you to the barrier. Do your best. But if you fail, you'll have to return here — because they'll kill you the moment you attempt to assassinate the emperor."
Adrian asked in a low, doubtful tone:
"And how am I supposed to cross the barrier… when I'm human?"
Asura extended his hand, placing his palm over Adrian's eyes before slowly removing it.
"I've just granted you a portion of my demonic aura — enough to let you pass. Now, let's go."
Somewhere in the Empire…
"Has the young master already returned?"
"Yes, he came back last night."
"Heeh, I heard he previously went to the front lines to train in monster combat. Strange that he returned so quickly."
The servants talked among themselves as they set the food on the table.
Countess Tovana entered with her husband, Count Tuan, and they sat at the table. Shortly after, the second son Freddy (15 years old) arrived, and finally, the eldest son Albert (20 years old).
Count Tuan spoke calmly as he sipped from his glass:
"Albert, since you've finally returned, I hope you'll take charge of the family affairs. I place great expectations on you, so don't disappoint me."
The countess continued in a cold tone:
"You must stop deluding yourself, Albert. You have no magical talent, so all the effort you're putting in is useless. Focus on administrative matters—this is better for you."
Albert asked quietly, hiding a faint anger beneath his voice:
"And why is my effort useless? Do you think I can't use magic just because my mother was from Section Zero?
I still carry my father's blood, and he is a noble. So it's not impossible for me to possess magic."
Freddy replied calmly as he set down his spoon:
"There's no point in what you're doing, brother. Even Prince Adrian was a pure-blooded noble, yet he couldn't use magic. So what about you—being only half noble?"
Albert's jaw tightened with suppressed anger. He grabbed the glass in front of him and threw it to the ground, shattering it.
He looked at Freddy with burning eyes and said in a trembling voice:
"Take good care of yourself, dear brother… or you may lose that talent you brag about one day."
The count slammed the table forcefully and shouted angrily:
"Albert! Have you forgotten that I am sitting here?!"
But Albert stood up without answering and left the room with heavy, angry steps as his father called after him.
The countess spoke with irritation, hitting the table with her hand:
"Damn it! How long will you keep the family's hopes hanging on him? Can't you see that Freddy is better than him—and more deserving of succession?"
Count Tuan sighed quietly and said:
"Freddy is a good boy, and I'm proud of him… but Albert is still the eldest son. I cannot ignore him just because he cannot use magic."
The countess turned her face away in annoyance and said with cold sarcasm:
"Hmph, do as you wish."
—
Albert stood by the window in his room, staring at the sky as he lit a cigarette.
He murmured in a low voice:
"Adrian… are you really dead? Or are you looking at the same sky from somewhere out there?"
---
At that moment, Adrian had already crossed the barrier into the human world.
He stopped for a moment and lifted his gaze to the sky…
then continued walking toward his destination—
to put an end to the past.