THE FIRE WITHOUT FLAME

As the knights stood frozen, their captain trembling with pride and fury, Rage stepped forward—black flames wrapping his body like a royal cloak.

Then, calmly but coldly, Rage spoke.

“Please vanish… you foolish knight.”

The captain scoffed, but before he could react, something unimaginable began. His body ignited—yet there were no visible flames. His armor began to glow red-hot, his skin blistered, and he dropped to the snow, screaming. He rolled desperately to extinguish the invisible fire, but the snow would not help. The fire could not be seen. Nor could it be defeated.

The remaining knights could only stare.

Rage turned slowly toward them, his voice now thunder.

“Rage… and his master… are here. Go. Run to that piece of filth sitting on the throne—and tell him we’ve returned.”

The knight who had earlier spoken with grace turned his gaze toward the stranger—the man now known as “Master.”

For the first time, the man spoke his servant’s name aloud. “Rage.”

A moment of stillness passed.

“Yes, Master,” Rage replied, his voice now gentle, respectful.

“I’d like… to reward the father and son,” the master said. “And the kind knight… if it’s possible.”

Rage gave a rare smile. “As you wish, my Lord. Shall I name this knight the future King? Or perhaps, allow his family to reside within the Royal Palace—forever protected, through generations. The father and son, too. Their loyalty deserves safety.”

As they spoke, the other knights pushed their horses backward, hands trembling on the reins. The horses resisted, eyes wide with primal terror. It was not fear born from training or command—it was instinct. The kind that only came from sensing something beyond natural.

Something demonic.

Suddenly, a calm presence filled the air. From behind the trees, a new man emerged. His expression was kind, his posture humble. His aura… surprisingly pure.

He walked forward and knelt gracefully before the master.

“Master… I am here.”

A glowing tag hovered above his head.

[Demon – Pity]

He looked almost angelic.

The aura of Pity—while soft—was powerful, ranking at C. The master felt an unfamiliar warmth from him. But as Pity stood in service, a ripple occurred through the air again—and another demon materialized.

This one was different.

Powerful. Grand. Mythical.

His aura was felt even before he arrived. When he stepped forward, the snow around him melted slightly, and even Rage tensed.

This was a being whispered about in legends.

[Demon – Strength]

His aura was overwhelming—vast, golden, almost divine.

The father and son stared in shock. Even Rage, proud and stable, looked briefly unsettled. The master stood silently as Strength bowed.

A moment later, Rage turned toward his master.

“Sir… may I ask… what is your weakness?”

The master blinked. He had no answer.

“I mean… which demon could you not summon, Master?”

He tried to speak—but another pop-up appeared in his vision.

A long list of emotion-based demons. Some were glowing brightly, marked as available. Many others were crossed out. Only one demon was marked unavailable entirely.

[Guilt – Cannot Be Summoned]

Rage lowered his gaze.

“So it’s guilt…”

He turned back to his master.

“Guilt is the only demon no master can summon. It is the chain that binds your true strength. You are not the first. Every year, one master is born. All are powerful. But only those who understand and accept guilt… become whole.”

The words struck deep.

Images suddenly flashed in the master’s mind.

He sat on a bench. Beside him, a girl with beautiful eyes laughed. They held hands. She leaned against him. He was smiling… happy… human.

Then—blackness.

Before he could process it, the world shifted again.

Every demon present—Rage, Pity, even Strength—suddenly stepped back, reacting to something invisible.

The master’s body pulsed with energy. A new being emerged—not with rage, not with pity, but something more powerful. And dangerous.

He was elegant. His presence overwhelming. His aura glowed like a rose dipped in starlight.

[Demon – Love] Rank: A++

His appearance was breathtaking. But the force behind his beauty was no less than terrifying. He was love in its deadliest form—obsession, protection, sacrifice, and fury all wrapped in one emotion.

Rage whispered.

“This… is a special kind of demon. An Emotion Ascended. Only achievable through extreme purity… or extreme pain.”

Love stepped forward, greeted the master with a slight bow, and then turned to the others.

He walked through the burning forest—and wherever he passed, the fire vanished. As if even the flames could not harm him.

They continued walking—Rage, Pity, Strength, and now Love—all surrounding the master.

They chose a clearing by a stream to rest. The father, the son, and the knight were given shelter nearby, watched over by Rage and Pity.

That night, under a sky streaked with falling stars, only one person slept.

The master.

The demons stood silently in a circle around him.

None dared close their eyes.

They did not need to.

Because from this moment on, the world had changed.

And the master of emotions—though broken and lost—had begun to awaken.