The Extra's Rebellion
Chapter 115: Demios clan

Chapter 115: Demios clan

"Damn it. How could I forget..."

She was the one person who had ever truly cared about him. And he had forgotten her so easily.

Too much had happened lately, too fast.

Zephyr started by jogging, then he begun to pick up the pace and before he knew he was running. Ever since he remembered Serena, a faint feeling of distress had found it’s way to Zephyr’s mind.

Zephyr didn’t stop running until he reached the Harbor—the transport center inside the academy grounds.

It was a wide, polished building with glowing blue panels and clean black walls. Inside, he showed his academy badge to a quiet attendant. They scanned it, nodded, and pointed him to another structure behind the main hall.

This second building looked older but stronger, made from thick metal and strange stone. Inside, the air buzzed softly with Aether currents. Large ships lined the sides— some shaped like wings, others like long spears. These were transport systems, built by DuskFall clan, the leading clan in terms of technology and weaponry. Their design was smooth, light, and far beyond modern machines.

A guide led him further in, past the massive ships, into a quieter area. Here, rows of one-seater pods were lined up. Sleek, round, and silver, these were built for speed and warping. Not full warp— only in jumps, small bursts across great distances.

These pods couldn’t carry many people, which is why they weren’t used to bring students to the academy. They were too small and too few. But perfect for solo travel.

Zephyr entered one of the pods.

The inside was small but clean. A single red cushion lined with gold formed the seat. A thin band of light circled the inner shell.

As soon as he sat, the pod scanned his Aether. A familiar voice echoed inside—

"Welcome, Zephyr. Destination?". It was Elden, the same AI voice used in many academy systems.

"Black Mountain Reach". Zephyr replied.

Capital of the Demios Clan.

"Affirmative."

Zephyr followed the guide book, he placed his hand in the symbol on the pod. This symbol was the birthmark of the pod.

The pod was created from a creature called space wraiths. They didn’t have any attack power, but their escape abilities are the top across any other creature of their rank, making it very hard to hunt them.

But DuskFall clan are bonafide wielders of space, thus, they were caught and reared in DuskFall territory and when they come of age they would be slaughtered and they body part used to create these pods.

The pod had an automatic driving system but to be able to warp space, it needed the neutral Aether of rider. And it would only wrap space for the duration of the rider’s neutral Aether and then the rider would have to absorb Aethe and proceed to supply it to the pod again for another wrap.

But for Zephyr, it was different, he not only has neutral Aether but he also have Limbo’s Aether.

The nature of Zephyr’s Aether was different from that of DuskFall clan. DuskFall clan depended on the domain of their Ancestor whose Domain was based on one aspect of Limbo— Teleportation.

Their Space Arts always had something to do with teleportation, and had to rely on Artifact to achieve the other aspects of space, like sealing.

But Zephyr on the other hand had ties with Limbo from the very beginning, and adding to the fact that his Aether was elevated to an higher form in Limbo.

And true to the fact, Zephyr spatial Aether had three attributes, one for sealing, the second for escape not really teleportation and the last one, this one was the embodiment of Limbo, depending on the Aether Zephyr could acheive different effect.

The pod hummed. It rose slightly from the floor, trembling with quiet power. Light gathered beneath it. In a few seconds, it would shoot into the air and start jumping across space.

Zephyr held the guidebook loosely in his lap and leaned back into the seat. No more delays.

He was going home.

With a tug, he poured his Aether into the pod and without even flying off, it directly warped.

In a flash of white light, the pod was gone, like it had never been there in the first place.

******

The journey had taken three days— three long days of constantly feeding Aether into the pod, pausing only to refine more from the environment. Compared to the seven days it took them to reach the academy through the Shadow Dimension, this was fast.

He reached the harbour located at the city of iron, territory of ironhowl. It was at the forefront of Demios Territory.

Now, Zephyr sat in a public carriage, gliding through the skies towards Black Mountain Reach.

The carriage was open-roofed, made of darkwood and bronze. It was pulled by two winged beasts— pegasi with black coats and manes that burned like shadow-fire.

As the wind rushed past him and the towering mountains of his clan came into view, the weight in his chest grew heavier.

He was Finally here but the uneasy feeling had climbed to his throat.

A few minutes later, the black-winged carriage finally touched down at Cinderholt, the capital of the Demios Clan.

Tall, jagged towers made of dark stone rose above the horizon, their edges glowing faintly with crimson veins of Aether. The air was heavy here, thick with heat and power— like the land itself remembered war.

Zephyr stepped off the carriage without a word and climbed into another. This one was smaller, closed-roofed, pulled by a single black pegasi. It lifted smoothly into the sky and glided over the dense Ashen Forest, its trees grey and scorched, their twisted branches reaching upward like the arms of the dead.

Minutes passed.

Then the forest gave way to open land, and a wide stone bridge came into view. It stretched across a deep ravine filled with slow-moving mist.

The carriage stopped.

Zephyr stepped out and walked across the bridge alone. Each step echoed.

At the other end, two guards stood beneath black banners marked with a flaming sigil.

"Halt. State your business," one barked.

Zephyr didn’t flinch. He met their gaze and spoke simply.

"Zephyr. Zephyr Demios."

The guards exchanged looks. One of them frowned.

"No son of Demios has white hair". He said.

Still, something about Zephyr made them hesitate. His bearing. His Aether. They could tell he was at Delta rank.

"Wait here."

They escorted him to a small stone barrack near the gate. Inside, he was told to sit.

Minutes passed.

Then the door opened again.

An old man entered— back straight, steps measured. Dressed in the black and red formalwear of a high servant, the Demios butler stepped forward, eyes narrowing slightly as he released his Aura

Zephyr frowned as he felt something scanning him, it was like a having bath and feeling as if you were being watched.

After sometime the butler turned and bowed low. The two guards followed suit.

"Welcome home, Lastborn of Demios."

Zephyr said nothing. No thanks. No nod.

He simply walked forward, past them, his footsteps light but firm.

The butler turned and began to lead him across the grounds, toward the great Demios mansion.

The estate was vast, built like a fortress. Fire torches burned even in daylight, and thick black walls rose around everything like a cage.

Inside the grounds, they passed maids, guards, and workers— but they didn’t whisper this time, the aura flowing subtly from him was suffocative.

They all bowed towards him, but he had come here for one reason. And it wasn’t for a reunion.

When they reached the main mansion, the butler paused.

"Your room has been left untouched, young master."

Zephyr gave a slow nod. "... call my maid."

"Yes, my lord."

The butler bowed again and vanished.

Zephyr stepped into the mansion, he walked down the hall and opened the door to his room.

Everything was where he left it. Dark walls. Crimson curtains. Three days journey of constantly using his Aether left behind a mental fegitue. He needed to unwind before anything else.

He stripped off his coat and shirt, walked to the bathroom, and turned on the water.

Steam rose.

Finally—he let himself exhale.

******

After a relaxing thirty minutes in the bath, in which he may or may not had fell asleep he entered the room.

The steam still clung to his skin as Zephyr stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped across his shoulders. The heat had soothed his muscles, loosened the weight on his mind— if only a little.

He dressed in silence. Black shirt, dark trousers, the long coat of Demios colors resting on his shoulders like a shadow made cloth. He didn’t bother drying his hair completely. It hung wet and silver across his eyes.

A gentle knock tapped at the door.

Then, it opened.

A maid entered, her steps measured and quiet. She carried a tray with silver covers and set it down on the table near the window without a word. Her posture was perfect—head lowered, back straight. She wore the Demios household uniform— a long black dress, red accents, and a crimson ribbon tied neatly around her waist.

Too neatly.

Zephyr’s eyes flicked across the room, but his senses had already told him more than sight ever could.

’A dagger. Hidden inside the ribbon at her waist. Coated with something faintly reactive... poison? Or paralyzer?’.

She moved calmly, her actions smooth, or so she thought. Zephyr could see the ripple in space through his spatial sense, she was trembling all over. As if she was scared.

And worst of all— her rank.

Zeta.

Not even remotely a threat. Not to someone like him.

Which meant one thing—

She wasn’t here to fight, she was here to catch him off guard. Just the right stab at the right moment when his defenses were low.

Zephyr didn’t move. He stood there, letting her finish laying out the food.

"Your meal, young master," she said, voice light and respectful.

Still, she didn’t meet his eyes.

He looked at her again.

The quiet breathing. The way she shifted her weight to her back foot. The smallest twitch in her fingers. She was nervous.

’Now the real question... who sent her?’

He sat at the chair that was facing the window, and asked in a heavy voice.

"Where is Serena".

He felt her heart skipped a beat and then out of nowhere, he felt rage emanating from her.

In a swift motion her hand slipped into the ribbon and drew the dagger, and stabbed towards him.

The blade completely missed as Zephyr was now behind her.

Zephyr hand was a blur, it landed on her neck and then her eyes rolled up, turning white.

The she fell harmlessly to the floor. And then her body structure started to unravel, her chest flattened alongside her backside. And a few seconds later.

A man dressed as a woman was lying on the floor unconcious.

"This is getting interesting".