Before I could process it, I was on my knees, painfully clutching my hand. The scent of burning flesh filled my nose, as the remnants of light magic tore holes in the exposed skin.

Edwin was the first to reach my figure, cursing under his breath as he tried desperately to figure out what was wrong.

“Asta? How did you get hurt? Move your hand!” He panicked, fingering my other hand that covered the wound.

“Everyone else! Treat Gunnar! Edwin and I will oversee Asta!” Serlon yelled to the group, who dragged Gunnar to open fields away from us.

Within seconds, Serlon pushed Edwin aside, gripping my shoulders.

“Asta, we need to see the wound.” Serlon expressed.

I shook my head, trying to rise back to my feet. The movement was too much. Soon the familiar burning shot through my body, causing me to visibly bite back a scream. I fell back to my knees, clutching my hand.

“I’ll be fine,” I grunted out through clenched teeth, and sweat started to form on my brow.

It was the most painful type of injury for demons. Light and demonic energy were opposing forces that could never exist together. Still, seeing as it was a graze, this meant that the pain should subside eventually. The amount that destroyed my wing was the exception.

Only demons got injured from light magic. They couldn’t see it. I’d be exposed. And it would all be over the second that they laid eyes on it. Fuck.

“You don’t look fine, kid.” Serlon exhaled, looking over at the prince, “What happened? How did he get injured? I thought we kept the distance from the Ogre.”

Edwin knelt next to Serlon, “Asta stayed on the carriage. I’m sure of it. There were no instances that I remember us getting too close. The whole time he helped me fire at the demon.”

Serlon went silent, his eyes zeroing in on the injury, “…What hand did he use to help you?” His voice was firm.

It must have clicked.

“…Asta. Move your hand.” Edwin’s voice lowered, mimicking the same tone that lacked his usual carelessness, “This is an order.”

Through my searing pain, I was able to understand the situation. My thoughts sobered, as I glared up at the prying expressions of the two.

“I can’t do that,” I warned. My tone must have been telling, as the two of them traded a look. Then nodded.

I braced myself, already pushing myself away. Too late.

It was shameful. But in my even more weakened state, they were on me. Serlon held my thrashing body down, as I cursed obscenities. Edwin crawled over, using his whole body to pry my covering hand off the other.

“This is…” Edwin crawled off. He stared at the bloodied hand and at the sections of burning skin that had been exposed to his own magic.

The evidence was damning as the actively burning flesh was now visible to the two. Both of them froze. I stopped struggling against them, instead, my eyes now trained on their next move.

This was it. I hadn’t even lasted a month before being found out. If my body weren’t enveloped in pain, I would have burst out laughing at my pathetic display. My father should have just killed me all those years ago.

I couldn’t do anything right. The truth was that I was too weakened to run. I could revert to my normal body, but the pain would only worsen. What was there to do? Let’s just die if the sword would be able to do that. I doubted it.

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“…You,” Edwin whispered, “You’re a demon?”

There was nothing to say. There was nothing that I could do.

“I should have just cut that fucking ogre’s head off when I saw it,” I scoffed, wincing from a wave of pain, “I would have been better off explaining that.”

Serlon’s expression changed, as he pulled his sword out from his belt. He drew it with the blade against my neck, “Who are you? What’s your goal?”

I peered up, looking at the human that had sparred with me every morning since I arrived at the estate. His expression was almost sad. But that wasn’t right. No.

“Answer me!” He raised his voice, drawing the blade closer to break the skin. Blood too dark to be considered red dripped down. A mixture of black and red. My body was forcing the remaining mana to heal the injury. My transmutation magic was barely holding on.

I glanced back with glowing red eyes, a blank expression.

“Damn it,” Serlon raised his sword, sending the blade down towards my head.

I closed my eyes. It would be better this way.

I waited. A metallic clang caused me to open my eyes in shock. Edwin had pulled the sword from my belt, blocking the slash from Serlon.

The lead guard stepped back, lowering his sword, “Your Highness. Please step back from the demon.”

All I could do was stare at Edwin, who stood in front of me like a shield. This human could barely hold the heavy sword properly. The same human that cowered behind the backs of his servants, standing in front of a demon. Protecting me.

It was like he didn’t have his back on the enemy. Open and vulnerable. Trusting.

“He’s injured, Sir Serlon. I will not let you kill one of my guards.” Edwin outstretched his hand as if he were guarding me.

Is a human guarding me? Pfft. Had I fallen this far?

“Crown Prince Edwin. Please reconsider your actions. I cared about him deeply as a guard too. But that does not excuse the fact that he is a demon and has been lying the whole time.” Serlon cautioned the prince, inching closer.

“That may be true. But Asta has helped me out on several occasions. He’s surely had the opportunity to kill me if he wished to. We’ll question him later, but right now he needs treated.” Edwin tried to reason.

“Is this an order?” Serlon asked.

“If it must be then yes. I’ll take accountability if anything should happen.” Edwin nodded, already turning around to take my side.

“Why?” I asked him, as he took my injured hand in his own.

“I don’t believe that you’re a bad person.” He responded calmly, using his teeth to tear strips of cloth from his sleeves.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew who I was,” I winced as he tried to wrap the cloth over my hand. Pieces of the torn cloth fell to the dirt path, “God. You can’t even wrap an injury correctly.”

“Then that’s something that we can discuss later,” He sighed, “But right now, you need to tell me how to treat your injury.”

Serlon joined my other side, dropping a bag of medical supplies next to us, “Why didn’t you fight back? I know you could have.” He glanced at the bloodied wound in Edwin’s grip.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” I snapped back.

He raised his hands, “An order is an order. I’m not going to kill you unless given a reason.”

Another wave of pain came over me, my face went pale as I lurched forward. My eyes glowed, as I clenched my jaw with sharpened fangs now poking from my lips.

The mana had been redirected into dealing with the pain. I was running out of proper amounts to keep everything in tack.

“Stand back!” Serlon warned Edwin.

Edwin didn’t move, instead, he took my shoulders in a panic, “Asta! Asta! Stay with me! What do you need right now?”

“Vial. Belt. Now.” I choked out.

He nodded, digging through the compartments on my belt, “Where? Asta? Where is it?”

I held my breath, shutting my eyes from the searing pain coursing throughout my body.

“For fucks sake!” Serlon jumped back in, opening a side pocket, and pulling out the vial, “Open your mouth, bastard!”

He wasted no time, shoving the liquid down my throat. I felt the effect instantly, as my body jumped at the sudden surge of mana. It was a strong potion, almost too strong for a human. But it was what I needed to support the effects of the transmutation magic.

My eyes returned to normal, as the fangs retracted. I huffed heavily, sweat dripping from my body. I could feel it. The mana that redirected to the wound was more balanced.

More importantly, I could feel the burning subside slightly. Maybe there were healing effects in the potion? I adjusted my position, now leaning back against the wooden carriage.

I reached my uninjured hand towards Edwin, “The cloth.”

He handed them over, “Are you okay now?”

Wrapping the cloth around my hand, I used my mouth to tie a knot, “Do I look okay?”

“You look better,” Serlon commented, his hand resting beside his sword.

“I’ll be able to manage an injury this small. Once the burning stops, I’ll be fine after that,” I informed the two, who continued to observe me.

“Who are you really?” Edwin asked, “Why have you come to Trane?”

I could lie.

Lie about who I was. But one glance at Serlon spelled certain death if I dared to lie again. His expression told me all I needed to know. The only reason that I was still alive was because of Edwin’s order to spare my life. Who knew how long that would last?

I sighed.

“My real name is Arsylm Morningstar. I was the Third Prince of Hellion. After being banished by my father, I was put to sleep for the last century. I woke up near a human town, where I was taken to Trane by chance.” I explained, ignoring the shocked faces of the two.

“…You’re a dragon?” Edwin gasped, “The dragon general? You’re supposed to be dead!”

“Sorry.”

“Wait! So, you can fly? Like you have wings and all?” Edwin asked, “How do you keep this appearance? Dragons know advanced magic, right?”

“I can fly,” I lied, “Transmutation magic.”

I paused.

“Why are you so calm?” I questioned seriously. I had just told them that I was the same dragon that attacked the East.

“Do I look calm to you?” Edwin pointed to himself, before exhaling, “Honestly, I’m terrified. But it just goes to show that you would have killed me earlier if you wished. I guess I’m holding on to that thought for the time being.”

“You’re a fool,” I scoffed, slightly wincing.

“Maybe you are too.” The prince gave a small grin.

Voices echoed in the distance, as the others returned with Gunnar supported at their sides. Eran could be heard barking out orders to help the injured guard get back to the carriage.

I peered up to Serlon, who glanced back to me, “Will the others be told?”

He looked at Edwin, who seemed to be debating to himself internally. Edwin shook his head, “Obviously, this isn’t over. But it would be safer to keep this between the three of us for now.”

“You hear that, Asta? Arsylm? Asta. You better keep up a good act.” Serlon stood up, dusting off his trousers, and helping Edwin up.

“We’ll figure this out later.” Edwin sighed, reaching his hand down to help me, “Can you stand?”

I reached up with my uninjured hand, taking the hand of the human prince,

“Yeah.”