The shadows of the night were heavy and dark, stretching across the ground. A cold and eerie air surrounded the school.
Valeria and Celeste lay on the ground, their bodies broken and their clothes torn.
Valeria struggled to breathe. The taste of blood lingered in her mouth, and her head spun. Pain coursed through her body. With trembling hands, she tried to get up, but her knees betrayed her, sending her crashing back down.
Celeste, a little farther away, clutched her stomach, from which blood dripped. Her white wings were dirtied and wounded, and her icy eyes were now filled with fear and despair.
The unknown creatures that had defeated them stared at them with soulless black eyes.
One of them stepped forward, shook his head, and said mockingly:
"Wow, wow… So these are the mighty princesses who were supposed to shape the future of the demon and angel worlds?"
Another laughed and said,
"Honestly, they're disappointing! I thought their fight would at least be a little entertaining, but they couldn't even injure us."
The third one smirked and sneered,
"Look at them! Lying on the ground, their bodies broken, shaking in fear! And these are supposed to be the heirs of great families? Hilarious."
Valeria clenched her teeth. She wanted to respond, wanted to stand again, but her body refused to obey.
Inside, she was filled with rage… but more than that, fear.
She wanted to survive.
But she knew it was impossible.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Am I really going to die here?"
Beside her, Celeste was also struggling to breathe. Pain surged through her body, but what tormented her more than the pain was the absolute despair she felt in her heart.
She had always imagined that in her final moments, she would at least be able to fight. But now?
She was weaker than she had ever thought.
One of the creatures stepped forward, smiling, while their leader, taller and stronger than the others, raised his hand.
Valeria's eyes widened.
Celeste clenched her fist.
Both of them felt it—this was the end.
The leader spoke in a cold voice:
"It's time to put an end to this pathetic show."
From his hands, dark energy surged forth, making the air tremble.
Valeria instinctively pressed her hand against the ground.
"Damn it… I don't want to…!"
Celeste closed her eyes.
"So… this is our end…?"
But just as the leader prepared to unleash his attack—
Hurried footsteps echoed from behind.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on here?!"
Nathaniel arrived at the scene of the battle, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
He was an 180 cm tall young man with black hair and deep brown eyes. His face always looked serious, but now, fear and confusion filled his gaze.
The scene before him… looked completely unreal.
"What…?"
Two girls lay on the ground, wounded and helpless. Strange creatures stood above them, and their leader had raised his hand as if preparing to kill them.
His mind froze.
But his body did not.
He didn't think. He just moved.
Before he even realized it, he had sprinted forward and thrown himself in front of the girls.
The leader of the creatures, caught off guard, could no longer stop his attack.
The dark energy burst from his hand and struck Nathaniel with full force.
Indescribable pain—
Fire, lightning, and shadows burned his skin.
His eyes widened. His entire body screamed in agony.
A moment later, he was sent flying, crashing to the ground, smoke rising from his body.
Valeria stared at him in fear.
Celeste felt her breath catch in her throat.
Nathaniel lay motionless on the ground, his body broken, his clothes scorched.
Valeria: "…No."
The leader of the creatures frowned.
His black eyes wavered. Who was this boy? And more importantly… how was he here?
He shouldn't have been able to enter this area.
They had completely isolated this place!
The leader took a step forward, staring at Nathaniel, who was barely clinging to life.
"You…"
Valeria dragged herself forward with great difficulty, placing her hand on Nathaniel's arm. He was still alive, but his breathing was faint and weak.
Celeste, with trembling hands, forced herself up.
Her eyes locked onto the creature before them. She knew he would attack again.
And this time, there was no one left to save them.
But—something unexpected happened.
The leader of the creatures suddenly stopped. His gaze shifted to the sky, as if he had sensed something.
Valeria and Celeste felt it too.
A familiar force… a powerful energy…
The leader clenched his teeth. "Damn it…"
His terrified eyes turned to his subordinates.
"Retreat!"
Valeria, still weak and lying on the ground, stared at him in shock.
"What…?"
Celeste held her breath. "Why…?"
But the leader gave no answer. He and his followers vanished like shadows dissolving into darkness.
And in that moment, an eerie silence filled the air.
Valeria looked at Nathaniel.
He was still motionless.
But he was alive.
A heavy silence hung in the air.
Valeria, struggling to move her injured body, placed her trembling hand on Nathaniel's shoulder. His body was still warm, but his breaths were weak and fragile.
"Nathaniel…?" Her voice wavered.
Valeria stared at him, her hands trembling slightly. Ever since the moment this reckless boy had thrown himself in front of them, she couldn't ignore her feelings. Something inside her twisted painfully—an emotion she had never experienced before. Fear. But not for herself… for Nathaniel.
Why was this idiot here? Out of all people, why him?
No answer came.
Fear gripped her heart. She… couldn't let Nathaniel die here.
But what could she do?
She was a demon, not a healer. Her blood wasn't meant for healing… but… but she could turn him.
She bit her lip.
Demons could turn others by sharing their blood. But…
"No…" Celeste, who had finally managed to sit up, looked at Nathaniel with hesitation and concern. "That's too dangerous…"
Celeste kneeled beside her, but unlike Valeria, her gaze held doubt and guilt as she looked at the boy lying motionless. She hadn't wanted any of this, but now, they were trapped in this situation.
"If we don't do it, he'll die!" Valeria's voice was filled with anger and desperation. "I won't let that happen…!"
Her eyes locked onto Nathaniel's lifeless face.
A thought took root in her mind—she couldn't let Nathaniel go.
Without further hesitation, she dug her claws into her palm. Drops of her crimson blood dripped onto Nathaniel's lips.
Celeste held her breath.
Valeria clenched her fists and waited.
But… nothing happened.
Nathaniel remained still.
"Why…?"
Valeria gasped. Her heart pounded wildly. "Why isn't it working?!"
Valeria's eyes widened in shock. This was impossible. A demon's blood should have immediately taken effect if the body was compatible with demonic nature. But in Nathaniel, there was only silence—no reaction, no pain, no change.
Celeste looked at Valeria. Doubt was evident in her mind, but at the same time, she was thinking rationally.
"If demon blood isn't affecting him…" She glanced at the wound on Nathaniel's neck, still open and bloody. "Maybe his essence aligns more with the righteous path."
She took a deep breath and hesitated before cutting her wrist. Unlike Valeria, her blood was golden, glowing like drops of light.
With a brief pause, she let a single drop fall onto Nathaniel's lips.
And suddenly… the world changed.
The air trembled as if an unseen force was tearing apart the laws of reality. A powerful wind surged, and golden rings of light and crimson shadows began forming around Nathaniel's body. Celeste and Valeria stepped back, eyes filled with shock.
"What… is happening here?!" Valeria whispered.
The ground beneath them quaked. From Nathaniel's body, both darkness and light surged simultaneously, two opposing forces trying to annihilate each other—yet bound together as one.
His skin began to change—paler than before, but healthier. Lines of crimson and golden energy etched themselves onto his arms. His black, disheveled hair gradually transformed, turning pure white from the roots to the tips.
His wounds healed rapidly.
And then, his eyes—
He opened them, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to lose its color.
Those once deep brown eyes now shone… turning into a pure, radiant red.