The Crown Prince In Hiding

It began with a meeting at dawn in front of the academy dorms.

Dan Byrne and Zeedee Lamp packed their belongings and followed Princess Nora onto a horse-drawn carriage, leaving the academy for the central station—a massive steam-powered rail hub built with Mathema technology, the dominant form of transport over the past decade.

From here, the train would head north to Snowhaven. The journey would take around twelve hours.

Dan stood on the platform, holding his bag and glancing at the clock, excitement building in his chest as a coal-black steam engine pulled in with a low hiss.

“…You know, Nora—ten years ago this thing was only used to haul coal.”

“Do they have these in Diablo?”

“Nope.”

“Then how do you know about them, Mr. Fury?”

“I’ve destroyed a few.”

“…Huh?”

The train came to a stop at the platform. Nora and her attendants began to board.

“It looks like a normal train. No royal banners or anything.”

“For security reasons,” she replied. “Banners are only displayed in Snowhaven or when the Empress herself is on board.”

“Makes sense.”

“How about you, Mr. Fury? Got a royal banner of your own?”

“Nope. Our population’s too small to need one. No point in showing off.”

The stationmaster rang the bell. The engine let out a deep whistle and the train began to move.

Nora rode in the foremost car, her private sleeping cabin protected by tightly regulated Snowhaven guards. Dan and Zeedee had to open every bag for inspection before they were allowed to ride with her.

“What’s this?”

One of the guards pulled out a thick book from Dan’s bag.

“That’s mine,” Dan said.

Nora poked her head out from her cabin and spotted the title:

“Efficient Extraction and Refinement of Mana Crystals, Vol. 2” by Prof. Killian M.

Why does this feel like it was stolen…? he thought. Oh well. Just a book.

The guard returned Dan’s bag.

(The cabin door opened.)

“Mr. Fury, you stole that from the Sheffield Library, didn’t you?”

“Y-y-you got me!”

“Wanna meet Professor Killian? He’s probably still in Snowhaven.”

“You serious? You can really arrange that?”

“No promises, but I’ll try.”

“Pshh… like he’s gonna waste his time on some random kid like me.”

“Won’t know until we ask.”

“I’ve been leaning on you a lot, Nora. I feel kinda guilty.”

“Oh come on, Your Highness. Why feel bad? This girl wrecked our Sweet Home!”

“You’re still mad about that?”

“Of course I am! I patched that wall with my own hands! You wouldn’t get it if it wasn’t your handiwork!”

“You can order grapes from the maid service, Ms. Zeedee,” Nora offered.

“…For real?!”

Nods.

“You know what? You’re actually kind of a sweetheart.”

Zeedee got up and wandered off.

Dan watched her go, sighing.

“What is wrong with her…?”

“Is Zeedee your only bodyguard? Wait—do you even need one?”

“Let me ask you this—you’re strong. Do you need a bodyguard?”

“If I run into someone like you, then yes.”

“Then if I run into someone like you, I need one too.”

“Mr. Fury… it’s not quite the same. Our powers…”

“I wasn’t lying when I said you’re strong. You really are. If I hadn’t been around, Zeedee probably would’ve been skewered by your ice lance before she transformed.”

“You and your Diablo form are totally separate?”

“Completely separate, Your Highness.”

So yes, it wouldn’t be wrong to say Nora was both stronger and weaker than Dan—depending on which of his two forms you compared her to.

“Besides you, are there other Diablo around?”

“Well… what do you think?”

“If you made it here, then others probably have too. I’d bet there are more Diablo blending in, right?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Oh? Come on, just admit there are spies.”

“I have a right to remain silent.”

“Classic diplomatic dodge—no denial, no confirmation. Is that really the play, Mr. Fury?”

“If you were me, you’d do the same.”

Nora chuckled softly.

She turned her gaze out the window as the train crossed the sea and left the academic district behind. Then she opened her notebook and began scribbling down new knowledge...

Six hours into the journey, the train passed through Velmount territory without stopping.

Outside, the biome shifted visibly—sunlit lakes gave way to dense, black forests. Thunder cracked beyond the glass. And just 3 kilometers ahead... patches of ice began appearing on the ground.

Dan sat reading, across from Nora who reviewed her own study materials. Zeedee was snoring, sprawled upside-down on a pillow.

“Mr. Fury.”

“Hmm?”

He glanced up.

“I just realized something.”

“What’s that?”

“If you transform back there… it might not be as safe as it was at the academy.”

“Why?”

“…The Raven.”

One of The Five Heroes—famed for his peerless long-range combat skills, extrasensory perception, and tracking abilities.

“If you transform in Snowhaven, there’s no wayhe won’t sense it.”

If you thought Professor Foden was fast…

The Raven was tens of thousands of times faster. For him, time practically slowed down. All he needed was a fraction of a second… and he’d know immediately that Fury had returned.

“He’s got a terrifying level of sensory perception. There’s no doubt he’ll remember my scent.”

Dan closed his book.

“Now that you mention it… what’s he been up to since the war?”

“He’s still in Snowhaven. Still serving, patrolling, protecting—same as always.”

“I met him twice. Once during the war. Once for the peace treaty. Kind of a quiet guy, like you. He serves the Ophilis royal family, right?”

“That’s right, Mr. Fury.”

“So you probably know him better than I do.”

“He taught me advanced ice magic.”

“Ah… so he was the one who trained you to pummel me.”

“I’ve had a few teachers. Including you, Mr. Fury.”

“Don’t call me a teacher. I’m your imaginary friend remember?”

And then suddenly... the biome shifted again—from forest to ice. Towering white mountains loomed outside the train window.

Steam began to fog the glass. The cold crept in—just enough to reach Dan.

“!!”

He shivered violently. He had never felt anything this frigid before. And this... was just the beginning. The temperature was—

“20 degrees.”

Nora glanced at the train’s thermometer.

“We’re only at the Snowhaven border. It’ll keep dropping from here.”

“Wait—TWENTY!? That’s it!?”

The world collapsed before Dan’s eyes. He scrambled to pull on his winter coat, unable to sit still.

“Cold—so cold! Can humans really survive in this kind of—”

Nora, still in a black dress, entirely unfazed.

“…Okay. I’m just weak.”

“You alright, Mr. Fury?”

“No… achoo!”

Nora rose from her seat to close the window, then lit the fireplace. It took her five minutes.

Fwoosh.

Warm orange flames sprang to life, saving Dan’s soul from frostbite.

Nora slid over to sit beside the demon prince, ready to offer her help.

“Blessed flames… oh thank God…”

She bent down, grabbed a blanket, and wrapped it around Dan’s curled-up form.

“Feeling better, Mr. Fury?”

“Oh, thank you… if I were in my other body, I wouldn’t be such a mess right now.”

His Diablo form was immune—its hard exoshell lacked nerves to feel the cold.

“Your nose is turning red, Mr. Fury…”

Nora leaned in to check on him.

“H-hey, that’s kinda close…”

“Hold still.”

Her pale hand reached out to gently touch his cheek. Blood rushed through his body. She dabbed his nose with a warm cloth.

“N-Nora… that’s… way too close! You’re making me even more flustered!”

“Flustered? …Really?”

“When I see something as beautiful as you, my body just can’t keep quiet.”

“B-beautiful? Me?!”

For the first time, Dan saw Nora freeze up. She pulled back instinctively, ears turning pink as her formal composure slipped.

But right then—

The moment shattered.

The train suddenly jolted, something disrupting its motion… amidst the snowy biome at the edge of Snowhaven.

And then came—

an explosion in one of the rear cars.