'Why does everything hurt so much.'
That was the first thing that went through Valsera's mind when she opened her eyes. She was in the medical ward, she could tell by the glow of healing crystals above her and the faint hum they made when active.
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 was awake and put it down.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit with holy magic," she said, wincing as she tried to shift her body. "How bad is it?"
The healer hesitated, and that small pause told Valsera more than anything she was about to say.
Her core was cracked in three places. Her mana pathways were shredded, some of them beyond what healing could fix. The crack in her left horn would partially regrow over time but the fracture line would always be visible, permanent damage from channeling divine energy through a demon body.
"We've done everything we can," the healer said.
Valsera could hear the apology buried in her tone. "Your physical strength will come back with rest, but your magic... I'm sorry. You'll never cast at the level you used to."
'So that's how it is.'
She nodded and thanked the healer quietly. The woman looked like she wanted to add something, maybe something comforting, but decided against it and left the room instead.
Valsera laid there staring up at the healing crystals.
She understood the risks going in. When Princess Noelle gave her the mission to replicate the human hero summoning, she accepted it knowing full well it could kill her. It was a direct order 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, whether that cost was her magic, body, or life.
So why did she feel like this?
'I should be proud. I did something no other demon has ever done, I pulled a human soul across dimensions using a divine spell. That's a win... probably the biggest win our people have had in years.'
But it didn't feel like a win. Her magic was who she was, it was everything she had built her life around. She was Valsera, the High Demon Mage, the most talented spellcaster of her generation, and now that was just a title with nothing behind it.
'What can I even do for the war effort like this? I can't fight or cast any magic, even scanning myself will make me cough up blood.'
She looked at her hands, seeing all the effort she put in, 'stop it, this isn't the time for self pity. There has to be other ways I can help, I just need to figure out what they are.'
She was still lost in thought when the door opened and a guard stepped in. He looked around the room and straightened up when he saw she was awake.
"Lady Valsera, the council is requesting your presence."
'The council? Already?' She frowned. 'I just woke up, what could they possibly want right now?'
She sat up slowly and almost dropped right back down, even with the healing they did, the remaining damage was still sending sharp pain through her whole body every time she moved.
The guard waited by the door while she got herself together. It took longer than she wanted, her legs were shaky and her balance was off without mana flowing through her properly, but she managed to get to her feet.
When she started walking, the guard fell in step beside her.
"How long was I out?" she asked.
"Three days, my lady."
'Three days? That's a long time.'
She wanted to ask about the human, whether he was alive or if he woke up, but the council was probably going to tell her everything anyway so there was no point asking a guard for answers she would get in a few minutes.
The council chamber doors were open when she arrived, which was unusual. They were normally sealed during sessions, so either they were waiting for her specifically or people needed to move in and out quickly.
She stepped inside and immediately felt the atmosphere shift.
Every seat was filled. The High Council, Clan Heads, the Generals, everyone who mattered in the demon realm was there and they were all watching her.
And at the head of the table sat Princess Noelle.
Valsera walked to the center of the room and bowed, "Your Highness."
There was no response, just stares from every direction.
'Something must have happen, don't tell me the human died.'
She straightened up and looked around the table suddenly feeling nervous. Most of them wouldn't meet her eyes, but a few were staring back at her with open hostility, and one of those was Lord Malus.
"The hero summoner returns," Malus said, leaning back in his chair with a goblet of wine, not even trying to hide the mockery. "Tell me, was destroying your core worth it?"
She kept her voice level even though her stomach was turning, "My core doesn't matter, my lord. All that matters is whether the hero made it through."
"Oh, he made it through," he said, and something about the way he said it made her chest tighten. "He's alive, if you can call it that."
'He's alive, that's a relief,' that relief didn't last as Malus continued speaking.
"The reports say we have a cripple who can't stand on his own." He set the goblet down and stood up, walking around the table until he was standing right in front of her, looking down.
"We burned through half our mana reserves for this ritual and what did we get? A broken human with shattered mana channels." He leaned closer, "That's the great hero you summoned for us?"
'Bastard.' Her fists tightened at her sides. She wanted to gather mana in her palm and blast that look off his face, but she couldn't do that anymore.
"The spell malfunctioned at the final stage," she said, trying to keep her composure. "The divine and demonic energies collided during the transfer, creating a collision that must have damaged his body."
"So you couldn't even control the spell," he said, enjoying every word.
"No demon in history has attempted this ritual. There was no guide to follow or anything. I was working with a divine framework designed to reject our mana on contact." She looked him in the eyes, "the fact he survived the summoning is already a big victory for us."
"No, he is useless," he said, turning away from her and focusing on the Princess, "Your Highness, I propose we execute the human. He's a resource drain we can't afford."
"You can't-" Valsera started.
"I can't?" He turned to her, his voice rising. "You walk in here with a broken body and nothing to show for it, you think you're in any position to argue?"
He spread his arms dramatically, "we needed a weapon and I recall you promising us that you wouldn't fail. You went on about how you will be the first demon to summon a hero. Instead you brought us something useless and broke yourself in the process."
He let his arms drop, "So tell me, what exactly can you do for us now?"
Valsera couldn't find anything to say back. She wanted to argue and defend herself, but he wasn't entirely wrong. She was damaged beyond repair, and the human she nearly died for turns out was in the same state.
She opened her mouth to try anyway, but before she could get a word out, the air in the chamber changed.
A sudden pressure filled the room, pressing down on everyone and making Malus stop mid-stride. His goblet trembled in his grip and he took a step back without meaning to.
"Lord Malus." Princess Noelle spoke.
She didn't move from her seat, her posture was exactly the same as it was a moment ago, one hand resting on the armrest and the other in her lap, but the weight of her presence was making it hard for everyone to breather
"Your Highness?" Malus's voice came out tight.
"You are forgetting yourself." Her tone was calm, almost conversational. "Valsera undertook this mission on my orders. Orders this council approved, I will remind you."
Her eyes were locked onto Malus, making him feel like an ant, "she sacrificed not only her core, but her magic as well, and nearly died to give our people a chance at surviving this war."
She stood up from her chair slowly, and the pressure spiked for a moment before leveling out.
"And you stand there with wine paid for by the blood of soldiers like her and call her useless." Her eyes started to glow with rage, "You will show her the respect she has earned, or I will personally teach you what that word means."
Malus fell to his knees instantly, "I-I am sorry your highness, it was foolish of me to overlook the hard work of our lady Valsera, this mistake shall not happen again!"
She didn't even continue talking to him, she just erased the pressure and turned her attention to Valsera. "You have done well. The outcome was not what we hoped, but your dedication to our people is undeniable."
"Thank you, Your Highness," she said, bowing her head. "For your words, and for giving me the chance."
Noelle studied her for a moment, 'Your have suffered such fatal injuries for the sake of our people and even now you still show such strong loyalty.' She looked back at the council, 'it's a shame you are not a member of this table.'
"The human is yours." She said as she began walking back to her seat.
Valsera blinked, "I'm sorry?"
"The council wants to execute him but I shall not allow such a choice to come from them. You have suffered the most out of this, so the human is yours to do as you please."
After sitting down, she looked at her again. "From now on he will be your responsibility. Do you accept this? If not, we can go ahead and proceed with the execution."
"I do," she said without hesitation.
Noelle nodded once. "Then it is settled. You will be taken to the secure ward where he is being held." Her voice changed to a soft tone, "Thank you for all you have done. Take care of yourself until you heal."
Valsera bit her lip, 'she is being nice but what her highness means is that I am relieved of my duties.' She could feel hear eyes starting to tear up.
"Thank you for your kind words your highness," she bowed once more, "I will be taking my leave now." She turned around and walked out of the room with a devastated look on her face.