Idle Mage: Humanity's Strongest Backer

Prince Feanor frowned as he saw Ashton break free from his restraints. He did not expect this from a mere healer, and judging from what he heard from him, it seems that this guy was delusional.

"Well, well, well...if it isn't the famous little healer." Prince Feanor sneered. "I'll admit, I didn't expect this from you. But what is it, that you're trying to achieve by bravely stepping forward?"

"You can't possibly be thinking that you can fight us now, do you?" Prince Feanor's eyes narrowed.

"Fight you? My, you certainly think too highly of yourself." Ashton shrugged, "I know you're a Prince and all but to be honest, you're not all that."

Ashton looked at the Prince and the Demon coldly, saying: "Make no mistake. This wouldn't be a fight. It'll be more like a lecture, really."

Ashton stood in the clearing, his eyes locked on Prince Feanor and the towering form of the Demon Astaroth.

He could sense the worry and disbelief of the people behind him but honestly, that was the least of his concerns.

"You've made a big mistake, little healer," Feanor sneered, his sword glinting in the dim light. "You're no match for me and Astaroth combined."

Ashton said nothing, his eyes fixed on Astaroth. The demon was massive, its body covered in writhing tentacles and jagged claws. But Ashton refused to be intimidated. Well, it's more like he can't be intimidated.

He's way too experienced for this. How can a mere Demon and Lunatic Prince phase him?

Without warning, Feanor charged forward, his sword flashing through the air. Ashton barely managed to dodge the attack, sidestepping and striking back with a blast of raw Fey energy. Feanor stumbled backward, his body wracked with pain.

Astaroth bellowed in rage, its tentacles lashing out at Ashton. But Ashton was too fast, ducking and weaving as he fired off magical blasts at the demon's body. The demon roared in fury, its tentacles lashing out in every direction.

Roderick, Kaida, Elias, and Leila watched from the edge of the clearing, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had seen Ashton fight before, but never like this. He was taking on two powerful opponents, and holding his own.

"Is he insane?" Leila whispered, her hand tightening around her weapon. "He can't possibly win against those two."

"He's not insane," Roderick said, his voice barely audible. "Can't you see it? He's our best fighter! He knows what he's doing."

Without warning, the demon charged at Ashton with incredible speed, its massive claws outstretched. Ashton calmly lifted his hand and muttered a simple incantation under his breath, causing a burst of mana to shoot out and hit the demon in the chest. Astaroth stumbled back, surprised by Ashton's quick reflexes.

Meanwhile, Feanor had drawn his sword and charged at Ashton from the side. But Ashton was ready for him. He twisted to the side, dodging Feanor's attack with ease, and then thrust his hand forward. A burst of flames shot out from his fingertips, engulfing Feanor's sword and causing the prince to yelp in pain as he dropped it.

Ashton dodged another attack from Feanor, his body moving with lightning-fast reflexes. Kaida watched in awe, her hands crackling with fiery energy.

"He's amazing," she breathed, her eyes fixed on Ashton. "I've never seen anyone fight like this."

Elias nodded, his eyes fixed on Astaroth. "And he's taking on an S-class demon, no less. That's incredible."

The fight raged on, Ashton dodging and weaving as he unleashed wave after wave of Fey magic. Feanor was getting weaker by the moment, his body covered in cuts and bruises. Astaroth was struggling as well, its body writhing in pain.

Ashton on the other hand looked as fresh as he ever was. He wasn't even sweating, he was relaxed and even looked slightly bored of this fight.

Ashton's team watched in awe as he continued to neutralize both Feanor and Astaroth with the most basic mana spells. They couldn't believe that such simple spells could have such a devastating effect on two opponents as powerful as the prince and the demon.

But as the fight wore on, Feanor and Astaroth began to show signs of despair. They had never encountered a fighter as skilled as Ashton, and they couldn't believe that they were being defeated by such simple magic.

"You can't be this strong," Feanor gasped, his voice filled with disbelief.

But Ashton only smiled coldly. "I am," he said. "And now you're going to pay for what you've done."

With one final burst of mana, Ashton sent both Feanor and Astaroth flying backward, their bodies crashing to the ground in a heap. The fight was over, and Ashton had emerged victorious.

Ashton stood over the defeated demon Astaroth, eyes cold as the frigid north. He knew that he had to act quickly before the demon's corruption could spread any further. He closed his eyes and focused his mana, drawing on the deepest wells of his power.

And then he conjured a spell that he hadn't used in years - the Purifying White Flames.

This spell belongs to the White Magic Branch of Humanity, something that he revived and mastered. It's also the most effective spell to use when dealing with demons.

The spell burst forth from Ashton's hands, a wave of brilliant white light that engulfed the demon's body. Astaroth writhed and shrieked as the flames burned away his corrupt essence, leaving only a pile of ash in its wake.

Ashton breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that Astaroth was gone for good and that the threat had been neutralized.

But Prince Feanor watched in disbelief as his entire plot evaporated before his very eyes. He had spent months scheming and plotting to overthrow the King, only to have it all come crashing down because of this one young fighter. The realization that he had been defeated so easily drove him into a rage.

"You!" he snarled, turning to face Ashton. "This is all your fault! You ruined everything!"

Ashton regarded him coldly. "You brought this on yourself," he said. "You should have known better than to trust demons."

Feanor glared at him, his eyes filled with hatred and desperation. "You'll pay for this," he spat. "I'll make sure of it."

But Ashton only laughed and said: "What, did you honestly think that you'd regain freedom after colluding with demons? Are you nuts? Can't you see the people behind me?"

"The Demon Slaying Squad might not have as much authority as the Imperial Family, but they still hold some. Now that you've endangered most of us, even the King will have to personally step forward to appease our anger."

"We won't kill you or maim you. But I sure as hell can't say the same when it comes to your family." Ashton coldly glanced at him. "I think the other princes would be ecstatic to finish you in our stead. That'd be one less competitor for them. A good deal if I do say so myself."

"Moreover, you won't remember any of this anyway."

With that, Ashton turned and walked away, leaving Feanor to stew in his bitterness and defeat. He knew that the Prince would never stop plotting but as he said, there was little to no chance of that ever happening again.

The fight for the crown is intense, or so he has heard. If the rumors were true, then Prince Feanor doesn't have much time left.

Ashton turned to face his teammates and the rest of the Demon Slayers, a determined look on his face. He knew that he couldn't let anyone know the truth about his skills and power - not yet, anyway. So he reached deep into his magical reserves and summoned forth the power of his Dream Magic.

As he focused his mana, he could feel the world around him begin to blur and warp. His teammates looked at him with confusion and concern, but he simply smiled and extended his hand toward them.

"Sleep," he whispered, his voice carrying on the wind. And with that, his teammates' eyes grew heavy and they slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Ashton moved quickly, using his mana to alter their memories and replace them with a fake ones.

This also includes the crazed Prince...

In this new reality, they had all fought together to bring down the demon and neutralize the Prince. They were heroes, celebrated for their bravery and skill.

Ashton's mind was racing as he cast the spell. He knew that he had to be careful with his use of Dream Magic - it was a powerful tool, but one that could have dangerous consequences if not used correctly. He focused all of his attention on the spell, pouring his mana into it until he was sure that it had taken hold.

Satisfied that his spell had worked, Ashton gathered his teammates and made his way back towards their kingdom, the crazed Prince in tow. The journey was long and treacherous, but they persevered, their spirits buoyed by their victory over the demon.

When they finally arrived at the kingdom, Ashton felt a sense of relief wash over him. He had accomplished his mission and protected his people from the Prince's treachery.

Now, they marched towards the Imperial Palace to seek justice for what Prince Feanor did.