Extra Demon: Sacred Academy of Light

"Why are you betraying me like this?" Lilith's aggrieved eyes fixed on me as she crossed her arms with clear dissatisfaction. She stared at me as though she might try to kill me at any moment.

"That's what she asked for. It was more of a condition... well, that's the situation." I had nothing to say. Not that I had even tried to come up with an excuse... but there wasn't really an excuse to invent.

"Damn it." Lilith brought one hand to her forehead and shook her head. "Why is it that every time I try to help you, I end up being the one who gets hurt?" She pursed her lips and fell silent for a moment. "Fine. Even though I have absolutely no desire to see her right now, I'll trust her words. Talk, for now... Besides, I doubt she'd want to cause a scene right in the heart of the empire."

Lilith's eyes glinted as she added, "I'll agree to speak with her, but you owe me a favor."

Of course, I had already figured it wouldn't come for free. Letting out a deep sigh, I said, "Alright..."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"This has to be one of the most uncomfortable situations I've ever been in." Rolling my eyes, I glanced to my right. Sitting in a wooden chair was Seraphine. Her eyes were closed, as though in a deep slumber, with her hands gently resting one over the other. It was such a dignified and elegant pose. Anyone else would have thought so too.

Well, only I thought that, as the supposedly crucial conversation between the Seraph of Mercy and the Sin of Lust would take place here, in this very room. Instead, I found myself staring at the new tattoo adorning my arm—a crown of thorns.

The meeting, in fact, had taken place... inside my soul. As strange as it seemed, I had been kicked out with the excuse that it was a "private conversation between women."

Clenching my teeth, I muttered, "It's my damn soul!" What right did they have to kick me out? Shaking my head, I truly wanted to know what the Seraph of Mercy and Lilith had to talk about. Unfortunately, here I was.

On the other hand, they had claimed that this was the safest place for such a meeting. They couldn't fight without my permission, nor could they pull off anything suspicious.

Setting all of that aside, I couldn't help but notice Seraphine's body, still and lifeless without a fragment of her soul. Even though it was only a small fragment, her body couldn't move without it. That's the rule—the soul must remain whole. If even a single piece is missing, the owner is left in a state of living death. That should have been me. Or so it was supposed to be.

And yet, here I was, fully conscious, staring at the Imperial Saint's daughter. For obvious reasons, no improper thoughts crossed my mind. She would undoubtedly notice, and I didn't want to make things more complicated.

"This room... it's so empty." Looking around, the silence was soothing but also unbearably lonely. With a wry smile, I murmured, "I suppose I've gotten used to their company... They're always so noisy." I didn't know what to think about it. Ever since my last conversation with Daniela, I could feel how much it had hurt her to learn the truth about me being a demon. She felt betrayed, of course.

"I wonder what Evelyn's state of mind is right now..."

"I'm sorry... I lost my temper," Daniela said, lowering her head slightly. Her ears turned red from embarrassment as she sighed inwardly and clenched her fists. At first, she hadn't understood clearly because the pain had clouded her thoughts. It was a delicate and alarming matter, one that couldn't be handled lightly.

It hurt her deeply to know the truth. It was contradictory, of course—Arthur couldn't simply admit to being a demon, especially considering that Daniela was the daughter of the empire's saint, and her path was meant to mirror her mother's. But still, it hurt to realize that there was no trust between them.

"And yet, here I am, feeling the same way," she thought to herself.

"No... don't apologize. It's my fault for not telling you... but... but..." Leslie lowered her head as well, feeling equally ashamed. She also knew it wasn't her place to bring it up with Daniela without Arthur's consent. The matter was far too complicated—but not for her, as she already knew the truth.

"No, it's alright... Let's just leave it at that, okay?" Daniela said, aware of what Leslie was thinking. "Let's let him explain it himself." She sounded hesitant, but in her mind, she still didn't know how to approach Arthur.

Should I act like nothing happened? she wondered. She didn't know.

"Yes... that's probably best. You're right, though he's been bedridden for two whole days..." Evelyn chimed in from the side. Her eyes lacked the characteristic sparkle they usually held. Sitting with her knees hugged tightly against her chest, she muttered, "No one's doing well right now."

Bang!

The door creaked open slowly, and through it stepped a peculiar figure. She had beautiful platinum-white hair and eyes as deep and blue as the ocean. A delicate smile graced her lips as she cautiously entered the room.

"This place feels so gloomy," she said with a hint of amusement. Walking slowly toward Daniela, she stared deeply into her eyes. "Did you see it, Daniela?" she asked plainly.

"See what?" Daniela tried to mask her anxiety, asking cautiously.

"Come now, you can't fool me. I know you saw it, just like Leslie and Evelyn did. But don't worry—it's a secret, alright? Just a little secret between the four of us. Does that sound good?" Grasping Daniela's hands tightly, she added, "We wouldn't want the empire—or worse, the church—to find out that Arthur is actually a demon, would we? We all know what they do to demons. It's not exactly a spectacle anyone would call pleasant."

With a brilliant smile, she gazed kindly at Daniela.

"But my mother... she's..." Daniela struggled to follow Elizabeth's line of thought.

"It's fine. She already knows. But as you probably know... your mother is quite fond of being merciful. She's definitely a being of light, the greatest representation of God on earth—the purest being to ever exist, bar none. You know that, don't you? Ever since you were little, your mother taught you. She taught you her word was truth. Her word was absolute. If she says it's fine, then everything will be fine."

Daniela's eyes glimmered as Elizabeth added, "Do you understand, Daniela?"