'Why does everything hurt so much.'
That was the first thing that went through Valsera's mind when she regained consciousness. She was lying in the medical ward, she could tell by the glow of healing crystals above her.
She turned her head and saw an older demon woman sitting next to her bed writing something on a chart.
The healer looked up when she noticed Valsera's eyes were open and put the chart down.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like I got struck by holy magic," she said, wincing a bit. "How bad is it?"
The healer hesitated for a second, which told Valsera everything she needed to know before the woman even opened her mouth.
Her core was cracked in 3 places and her mana pathways were shredded, some beyond repair. The cracked horn would never fully heal either, it would regrow slightly but the fracture line would always be visible, they believed it must have been the holy magic in the spell she used.
"We've done everything we can," the healer said, her tone making it clear that everything they could do wasn't much. "The damage to your core is beyond what our healing can repair. You'll recover your physical strength in time, but your magic... I'm sorry. You'll never cast at the level you used to."
'Ah... so that's how it is.'
She nodded slowly and thanked the healer. Even though the healer looked like she wanted to say more, she decided against it and left the room.
Valsera laid there staring at the healing crystals.
She understood the risks going in. When her highness Princess Noelle gave her the mission to replicate the human hero summoning ritual, she accepted it with full awareness that it could kill her.
It was a duty she received from the last royal blood of the demon realm, and she took it seriously. The plan was always to summon the hero no matter the cost. If it cost her body, power or even life, that was the price and she was willing to pay it.
So then... why did she feel so sad?
'I should be proud. I did what no demon has ever done. I pulled a human soul across dimensions using a divine spell, that's a win. That's the biggest win our people have gotten in years.'
But she didn't feel like she won anything. She just felt empty, her magic was who she was. She was Valsera, the High Demon Mage, the most talented spellcaster of her generation.
Without it, she was just another demon, what could she contribute to the war in this state?.
'Stop it. This isn't the time for self pity. I may not be able to fight on the front lines anymore, but I am sure there are other ways I can help.'
She was lying there trying to convince herself when the door opened and a guard stepped in. He looked around the room and when he saw she was awake he straightened up.
"Lady Valsera, the council is requesting your presence."
'Hm? The council is? Did something happen?'
She sat up slowly and almost lied back down instantly, even though they healed her somewhat, the remaining damage was still causing a lot of pain.
The guard waited by the door while she got herself together, which took longer than she wanted it to cause her legs were shaky and her balance was off without mana flowing properly.
When she got to her feet and started walking, the guard fell in step beside her.
"How long was I unconscious?" she asked.
"3 days, my lady."
'3 days? That's a long time.'
She wanted to ask about the human. If he was still alive or woke up, but she figured the council was about to tell her everything anyway, so there was no point asking a guard for information she would get in a few minutes.
When she reached the council chamber the doors were open, which was unusual. Normally they stayed sealed during sessions, so either they were waiting for her specifically or the situation called for people to move in and out quickly.
She stepped inside and immediately she could tell from the atmosphere that something was off.
All the seats were filled. The High Council, Clan Heads and even the Generals, everyone who mattered was there watching her.
And at the head of the table sat Princess Noelle.
Valsera walked to the center of the room and bowed. "Your Highness."
She waited for a response but all she got was silence and stares.
'This can't be good.'
She straightened up and looked around the table. Most of them avoided her gaze but a few stared back with open hostility.
"So," Lord Malus said, leaning back in his chair with a goblet of wine in hand. "The hero summoner returns." He didn't bother to hide the mockery in his voice.
"I see the ritual was... eventful," he continued, gesturing vaguely at her. "Tell me Valsera, was destroying your core worth it?"
She ignored his tone. "My destroyed core does no matter my lord. The mission was a success and now we have a hero of our own, that is more important than my life."
"Ohhh, we have a hero of our own huh?" Malus laughed. "Do we though? Because the reports say otherwise. They say we have a cripple."
He stood up then, walking around the table until he was standing a few feet from her, looking down at her with a sneer.
"We sacrificed half our mana reserves for this. We needed a weapon to fight the human heroes. Instead, you brought us another mouth to feed."
He leaned in closer. "A boy with shattered mana channels who can't even stand up on his own. That is your great success?"
Valsera clench her fists. 'Bastard.'
She wanted to gather mana in her palm and blast that smug look off his face, but she couldn't do either of those things anymore and he probably knew that.
"The spell malfunctioned at the final stage," she said, keeping her voice level. "The divine and demonic energies collided during the transfer. The damage to the human was not intentional."
"Not intentional you say," he repeated, like he was savoring the words. "So you're telling us you couldn't even control the spell properly."
"I'm telling you that no demon in history has ever attempted this ritual. There was no reference, guide or precedent. I was working with a stolen divine framework that was designed to reject our mana on contact."
She looked him deed in the eyes. "The fact that a living human managed to make it through is nothing short of a miracle."
"Miracle or not, he is useless," he spat, turning away from her. "He cannot fight or use magic, just a resource drain we cannot afford."
He looked at the Princess. "Your Highness, I propose we execute the human immediately. He serves no purpose."
Valsera's eyes widened. "You can't-"
"Oh I can't?" He cut her off, his voice rising. "You come in here with your broken core and failed ritual, you think you have any right to speak? Look at you, you're useless to us now."
He turned to face her fully, and she could see contempt written all over his features.
"We needed a weapon. You promised us that you will not fail, talking all big that you will be the first demon to summon a hero." He spread his arms, trying to be dramatic.
"Instead you summoned a useless sack of meat that won't be of any help, and you ended up breaking yourself in the process. What exactly is your value to the demon realm now? Tell me, what can you possibly contribute?"
Valsera felt the words sink into her chest. She wanted to argue and defend herself, but what could she say? He wasn't wrong... she was damaged beyond repair, and the human she nearly died to summon was useless.
She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, the air in the chamber suddenly grew heavy.
It started as a subtle pressure, like the atmosphere itself was being compressed. Then it intensified, and Valsera felt her knees buckle slightly.
Malus, who was looming over her, suddenly stopped mid-sneer. His goblet froze on its way to his lips, taking an involuntary step back, his face twisting in discomfort.
"Lord Malus." The voice came from the head of the table. Princess Noelle didn't move from her seat, but the aura radiating from her was overwhelming.
Her violet eyes, usually half-lidded with boredom, were now fully open and fixed on the lord.
"Your Highness?" Malus's voice came out strangled, the pressure making it hard for him to breathe, let alone maintain his aggressive posture.
"I believe you are forgetting yourself." Her tone was calm, almost pleasant, but the weight behind her words made several council members shift uncomfortably in their seats.
"Valsera has just returned from a mission that nearly killed her. A mission she undertook on my orders and one, I will remind you, this very council approved."
She stood up slowly, and the pressure in the room intensified for a brief moment before leveling out. Malus took another step backward, his face paling as he was forced to retreat from the invisible force pushing against him.
"She sacrificed her core, magic, and nearly her life to give our people a chance. And you stand there, drinking wine that was paid for by the blood of soldiers like her, and call her useless? You should be thankful she went through all that for us. Mind your manners, Lord Malus, or I will find someone who can teach you some."
Malus opened his mouth, then closed it. His goblet trembling in his grip, causing the wine to slosh over the rim.
"That's what I thought." Noelle turned her attention to Valsera. "You have done well, Valsera. Despite the... unexpected outcome, your dedication is undeniable."
"Your Highness," Valsera said, bowing her head as much as the pressure would allow. "Thank you. For your words, and for... for giving me the chance to try."
Noelle studied her for a moment, her expression unreadable.
"The human," she said simply. "He is yours."
Valsera blinked. "I... I'm sorry?"
"The council has determined he has no strategic value. His mana channels are destroyed, he cannot form a core, and his body was damaged extensively during the crossing. They wanted him executed."
She glanced back at the table full of demons. "I have decided otherwise. Since you are the one who summoned him, and since you are now... without a posting... he will be your responsibility."
The meaning behind her words was clear. The council had no use for either of them. This was a courtesy, nothing more.
"Do you accept this arrangement?"
Valsera didn't hesitate. "I do."
Noelle nodded once. "Then it is settled. Krava will show you to the secure ward where he is being kept. You are both relieved of your duties to the council." Her voice softened, so slightly that only Valsera could hear. "Rest and heal. Do what you can with what you have left."
Without another word, the princess turned and walked out of the chamber, her footsteps fading into silence.
The room remained still for several seconds after she left. Then, slowly, the council members began to murmur among themselves, deliberately avoiding looking at Valsera.
Malus had retreated fully to his seat, his face red with humiliation and something darker.
Valsera didn't care, she bowed to the table, a formality more than anything, and made her way toward the exit.
'The human failed huh... what a shame, it seems this will only end with our extinction.'