Asmodeus woke up in a mansion far greater and more magnificent than any palace. He looked around cautiously, trying to understand where he was.
"Awake at last?"
Asmodeus instinctively reached for his sword. There was deep fear in his eyes—not weakness, but the primal terror of sensing someone far stronger than himself.
"What is your name?"
"Asmodeus."
"Asmodeus… So Arthur accepted you as his student. What happened to Arthur?"
"We were living in a forest. He always spoke of the betrayal done to him. He had grown bitter toward the world."
"I see."
Deep inside, Lancelot was furious that his king had been reduced to such a state.
Hours passed. After five relentless hours, Asmodeus was ready to leave for the Avalon Academy.
"I owe you an apology, Asmodeus. I've arranged your entry into the Avalon Academy. I'm certain you'll pass the exam. It's the only place in Camelot beyond the Church's influence." (For now.)
Asmodeus grumbled. Though he didn't realize it himself, he had a lazy nature. Still, his true goal was to uncover the truth about his family—and for that, he needed power. The academy could provide it.
The day arrived.
Sword in hand, Asmodeus joined the selection trials disguised as a village boy.
Standing before him was the heir of a famous sword family. Despite his noble name, he was nothing more than a scoundrel.
"Kneel, brat. My family are counts. If you harm me, you'll pay with your blood."
Asmodeus didn't understand why the boy treated him that way. Weren't they both human? Asmodeus had grown up in the forest until the age of sixteen; this was the first time in his life he had seen so many people.
He made a decision. He would not allow anyone to speak down to him.
Asmodeus answered with a single strike, severing the man's arm.
"If you stand up, the next thing that falls will be your head."
At that moment, someone caught his eye.
Silver-gray hair. Striking pink eyes. An unbelievably beautiful student. Even though she was disguised as a boy, he instantly knew she was a girl.
Why? he wondered.
Then he dismissed the thought.
Not my problem.
Yet still, he was curious.
When the dorm assignments were announced, the moment Asmodeus entered his room, a sword was pressed against his throat.
"Enough already! Is this what happens everywhere I go?!"
The person before him almost glowed. Asmodeus couldn't look away.
It was her.
"Hey, what are you doing in my room?"
"There were no empty rooms left. They sent me here."
Asmodeus couldn't understand Lancelot's decision. What if this sword master realized she was a girl and reported it to the Church?
She divided the room in half and hung a magical curtain on her side.
"If you cross this line, I'll kill you."
Asmodeus had no choice but to accept it.
"By the way, what's your name? I'd like to get along with my roommate."
"Aeris."
"For tonight, you'll have to sleep somewhere else," Aeris said. She needed to talk to her family about this.
Asmodeus agreed, so captivated that he didn't even think about having nowhere to stay. He couldn't go to Lancelot on the very first day, so he chose a place he was used to for the night—the forest.
But the moment he stepped inside, strange sounds echoed.
They were from the Church. Asmodeus knew what the Church was—and he also knew they were not supposed to enter this forest.
Before him stood nearly ten holy knights and one high priest. Even a single one of them would have been powerful.
Asmodeus decided to observe. It was instinctive—he knew that if he approached, he would die.
Holding his breath in his hiding place, Asmodeus watched. Through the leaves, the holy symbols on their armor gleamed in the moonlight. The knights advanced cautiously into the forest while the high priest remained behind, surveying the surroundings.
"I can smell it," the high priest said quietly. "He was here. Demon blood has tainted this land."
This could be an excuse for a holy war.
Asmodeus clenched his teeth.
So they're hunting me…
And they want to start a holy war.
But how?
His instincts screamed: Don't approach. Not yet.
He withdrew deeper into the darkness. Excalibur's voice echoed in his mind.
"If you act, they'll sense it. Using me among this many holy beings would be suicide."
"I know," Asmodeus whispered. "That's why I'll wait."
One of the knights knelt down and placed his hand on the ground.
The high priest struck his staff against the earth.
"The one we seek may be a student. The Avalon Academy exams were held today. Such a being could have infiltrated it."
Those words darkened Asmodeus's eyes.
Aeris.
If the Church began to suspect the Academy…
If they saw her…
No.
The darkness inside Asmodeus stirred. He suppressed it. Not now. Not here.
The knights continued onward. After a while, they left the depths of the forest and departed in the direction they had come from. When their footsteps faded, Asmodeus collapsed to his knees.
"That was close…" he muttered through clenched teeth.
Excalibur was silent. Even the sword was tense.
When morning came, Asmodeus stood up. He washed the blood from his body in the river and adjusted his cloak. His face returned to being expressionless, but something had changed in his eyes.
He knew now.
The Church had noticed him.
This was no longer a life he could live in hiding.
As the gates of the Avalon Academy came into view in the distance, Asmodeus murmured to himself:
"I'll grow stronger. Strong enough that no one will ever see me as prey again."
And for the first time, he thought he might not be alone on this path.
The image of the silver-haired, pink-eyed girl appeared in his mind.
Aeris.
Perhaps she, too, was hiding from the Church. But first, he had to inform Lancelot—the holy boundaries had been violated.