The Broken Wand

The Dark Emperor along with his forty minions, vanishes back to 'Cula Tower', the main stronghold of the Dark Sorcery Demon Clan. It stands as a solitary, obsidian spire, piercing the sky from a desolate wasteland where not a single tree dares to grow within a ten-kilometer radius.

The sky hangs heavy with thick, black clouds, obscuring the celestial dome and preventing the sun's rays from piercing through. This renders the atmosphere damp and chilling in the night. Only the flames from numerous torches, coupled with the magic of a barrier wall, bestow warmth upon the denizens of the dark arts who reside within. Though the exterior appears capable of holding only a few thousand, the magic of spatial expansion allows tens of thousands of dark sorcerers to dwell within without crowding, and their numbers show a tendency to swell with the increasing darkness in the hearts of the gifted. The ironclad gates swing open, welcoming the return of the Demon Emperor. The sentry soldiers bow their heads in deferential respect, devoid of any fear. He carries only a long spear, its tip connected to a wand, enabling the projection of magical energy with greater force and range. It is clear that the 'Wand-Spear' exists solely for combat.

"Welcome back, Lord Demon Emperor. Shall I offer you a succubus to attend to your needs, my lord? Or perhaps you would prefer to share your bed with me, as in times past?" An aged demon materializes and prostrates with her forehead pressed against the polished black tiles, accompanied by a dark-skinned demon concubine. The concubine's sweet face is framed by a bikini, showcasing an hourglass figure. Her glowing red eyes pierce deeply, attempting to reach the Emperor's heart, yet they fail to breach his core. He sighs long before passing the fawning demon without a trace of warmth. "You should rest, my lord. You do not realize yet how weary you are after the clash with the number one mage of Caronia, causing your magical reserves to plummet to an unprecedented low. And then you had to fight... a dog? A dog, you say. I fail to comprehend."

"Do not read my mind, Luxuria, you sin of lust!" the Demon Emperor roars, inadvertently releasing a wave of magical energy. This sends Luxuria and the concubine flying backward. The concubine sprouts black bat wings, fluttering in the air, her body trembling. "You offer me a succubus as a concubine? Do you seek my demise?"

"By no means, my lord! Though a succubus drains life force in the bedchamber, she would never dare such a thing to you," Luxuria pleads, her face pressed to the ground. "Forgive me, my lord."

"Take the succubus away and summon a superior demon to heal my arm," the Demon Emperor commands with a sharp tone. His crimson eyes, visible beneath his iron mask, betray the fury of defeat and victory intertwined. He then orders one of his demon minions, who is cradling Anya's unconscious form, "Lock the child in the deepest dungeon and seize her wand as well. Station skilled demons as guards; do not let her out of your sight."

"Understood, Your Imperial Majesty," the demon acknowledges before swiftly carrying out the order. Only a few hours pass before Anya awakens from her daze. Her beautiful eyes barely see in the pitch-black space. Adjusting to the darkness moments later, she finds herself sitting in a cell made of black volcanic rock, its steel door an impossible barrier for a small, unarmed girl's strength.

"I... is anyone out there...? A... Anyone..?"

"Silence, you brat! So annoying!" A deep, low voice roars from the tall guard outside the cell, his spear striking the ground with a resounding clang that makes Anya flinch. She remembers nothing after the Demon Emperor fought Nappo... nothing... her current memory feels as if a part of it is simply cut away. Clear tears stream down her cheeks. Her arms hug her knees tightly in the dark, frigid corner of the cell, the cold biting into her very core.

"Nappo... help me..."

............

"Anya is the Demon Emperor's only daughter..."

Professor Aek's words echo in my head, repeating like a broken record, an unending loop. It is a curse inherited from a past life, impossible to escape. He sits, his thoughts circling endlessly, robbing him of sleep and appetite. Especially his beloved wand, now shattered into pieces from the fight with the Demon Emperor. And Anya, captured by him, captured by her own father. I feel as if I stand in the midst of endless darkness, directionless, unsure which way to turn.

This must be what they call being in complete darkness. I hold the broken pieces of his wand together, trying to mend them with the mending charm with his bare hands. But it doesn't work.

"Fixatio! Fixatio! Fixatio!"

Frustration at my own weakness rises, and I desperately try to cast the spell with my bare hands, pushing his magical pressure to its limit, hoping for some miracle. But this isn't a novel where everything goes according to my wishes... 

Of course, I'm not the one writing this novel... that's the disadvantage. Even with the protagonist's inherent skills.

"A wand can't be repaired with such basic spells," a woman's voice says as 'Sola' appears, her face visibly strained. The wand in my hand trembles. Instinct screams danger, and he leaps aside just before she fires a spell. The pieces of his wand scatter across the floor. A red beam pierces the soft pillow and blanket, sending feathers flying, accompanied by the loud crack of the spell in the infirmary room.

"W-wait, Sola! What's going on?! Why are you suddenly attacking me like this?!" he shouts, trying to bring her to her senses. But she seems unwilling to listen. She fires a couple more spells, and he tries to maintain a steady rhythm of dodging. His power cannot yet transform into human form. Why does it always have to be such a critical moment?! "Talk to me, Sola! If we just keep firing spells at each other, nothing good will come of it!"

"You promised to look after my daughter! And what is this?! Anya has been captured by the Demon Emperor!" She hurls a clear green curse at him. This time, I snatched the metal tray holding a water glass from the bedside table, using it to block the curse. It clatters out of his mouth, floating away with a wisp of smoke.

Sola's words make him willingly accept the punishment. I wanted it that way from the start. My defeatist nature, in this life or the last, remains the same... no, in any life, I am always a loser.

"Stop, Sola!"

The infirmary supervisor fires a disarming charm instantly. The wand flies from Sola's hand towards the caster, who catches it mid-air. She is a young woman, around the same age as Sola, with a pale face and her blonde hair piled up in a bun at the back, secured with a wand as a hairpin. She wears a white robe and matching-colored tall boots, with subtle makeup accentuating sharp, captivating eyeliner. Her eyebrows furrow slightly as she points the tip of her wand at Sola.

"The infirmary is for healers and has its own rules. You studied here, you should know that."

"Yes... yes, I know, 'Mesa'. Give me back my wand." Sola holds out her hand, her brow furrowed in a threatening glare. "Or don't say I didn't warn you."

"Calm down first. Once you've cooled off, I'll return it," Nurse Mesa orders, pointing towards the exit, standing firm. "Even if you blast Anya's pet, it won't bring her back. It's the one who protected your daughter to this state."

"Nappo, this thing?" Sola almost can't believe her ears. She whips her head around to look at him, bandages wrapped around his chest, before exhaling sharply through her nose in mockery. "Right, three months have passed, it's probably trained to a certain level. But still couldn't protect my daughter..."

Smack!

The young nurse's hand snaps across Sola's face with full force.

"You didn't see what happened that day, you wouldn't understand. They invaded the school, broke the barrier, and separated students and teachers. No one could defend themselves. Then the Demon Emperor appeared, wanting Anya. The headmaster and some students fought desperately to drive them out, but our power was too different," she says, voicing all the unspoken words in his heart. "You don't know anything, so shut your mouth. Calm down and then come get your wand from the staff room."

With that, Nurse Mesa walks out, retying her bun and securing it with her wand as if it were a hairpin, leaving the two adversaries together without any lingering animosity. She sees the broken pieces of scattered wand on the floor and slowly bends down to collect them one by one, tears welling up and streaming down her cheeks. It doesn't take long for her to gather all the fragments, placing them together to form their original shape. I watch Sola, who is staring intently at the wand that once belonged to her daughter, dabbing her wet cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Sola... I'm sorry..." My ears droop, and brow furrows. "I tried to protect her with everything I had... I even put myself in harm's way. But the Demon Emperor is too strong..." Sola's arms close around me, her large breasts pressing against my lower abdomen, making my soft spot stiffen and rendering me speechless.

After a moment, the strong woman's sobs break the silence beside his ear, making me feel awkward. Finally, I hug her with my front paws until she releases all her pent-up emotions. Afterwards, we sit on separate beds, the wand placed between us. Her slender, pale hand strokes my head and body affectionately as she stares straight ahead.

"This wand... You must be thinking of your master, right? Anya said it's an old wand." He nods but says nothing. Sola is silent for a while before letting out a long sigh. "For me, it's different. Because I know who its original owner was." Her words make my pointed ears perk up instantly. "This wand... it used to belong to 'Virgo', my husband," she says with a sorrowful tone, "or the one now known as the current Demon Emperor."

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To Be Continue Ep.22