ALL NOVEL Chapter 19
In the desolate plains, volcanic eruptions burst forth from the depths, completely obscuring the sky so that not a single beam of light could reach the ground.
The perpetrators, unable to see even an inch ahead in the darkness, found half of the land submerged in boiling lava.
Leading the flowing river of lava was a demon with red eyes.
The slaughterer Perlerina charged forward.
At that moment, a girl with black hair stood in her way.
“…Hupnis.”
Perlerina looked at her with sad eyes.
“Rina. Please stop now….”
The girl cried out in a quavering voice. “Is this… is this the way we’re supposed to survive? This is too much!”
The continent was engulfed in lava.
Countless lives were devoured.
Even superhumans couldn’t withstand the power of the Demon Lord’s dominion.
“This isn’t a way for us to survive; it’s a method of killing everyone but us!”
The kind and gentle Demon King chose this method?
The girl didn’t want to believe it.
“Step aside, Hupnis.”
The Demon King’s voice was no longer warm.
A cold, hardened tone reverberated softly.
“I don’t want to kill you. So step aside.”
“Rina!”
The girl shouted, wishing for the return of the previous version of her.
“…Are you really going to oppose me?”
Whoosh!
Six swirling lava serpents shot up, forming the shape of snakes.
“If you stand in the way of the demons’ salvation, I will take care of you too. It’s not easy to find a new suitable candidate for the Demon King, so I don’t want to kill you.”
“Rina….”
The warmth in the Demon King’s gaze was nowhere to be found as she looked at the girl.
All that remained was hostility toward the interloper.
“Even so… I will stop you.”
Wooooooh!
The magic dwelled within the girl.
Black armor and wings enveloped her.
Holding a sword formed by condensing magic, the girl soared into the air.
“What a shame. I need to find a new candidate.”
The Demon King extended her hand.
“I’ll send you off without pain, considering our past affection.”
Kieeeeeek!
Dozens of lava snakes surged toward the girl.
Drip…
Drip…
“Cough!”
The Demon King coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood.
A black blade was embedded deep in her chest.
“W-why… why didn’t you stop it…?”
Despite stabbing the sword into the Demon King’s heart, the girl wore a confused expression.
“I never thought… I would run out of magic… This can only be considered my defeat…”
The Demon King’s eyes gradually closed.
As her power faded, the lava covering the land slowly cooled.
“No! That can’t be! You’re the one who taught me swordsmanship! You’re the one who taught me magic! You wouldn’t make a mistake with magic calculations!”
“…Huh.”
The Demon King chuckled faintly.
“If that’s the case, I must have become useless…”
The Demon King reached out to stroke the girl’s cheek.
“…Huh…P…nis….”
“Why… do you have something to say…?”
“…Die….”
With her last words, the light vanished from the Demon King’s eyes.
Her head drooped weakly.
“Waaah! The Demon King has fallen!”
“The savior of the continent! It’s Hupnis!”
The memories of those celebrating the end of the war came to a halt.
“What do you think?”
The Demon God asked me.
“It was an incident where the previous Demon King, who raised me during her mortal life, tried to kill me.”
…To kill me?
That can’t be true.
Watching the past events made it clear what the previous Demon King thought of you.
“The Demon King has inherited all the abilities of the ancestral Demon Kings to pass on her power. The accumulated powers of countless generations of previous Demon Kings can cover the entire continent in lava. She was the strongest opponent I’ve faced so far.”
In the memories, the area behind the Demon King was filled with boiling lava extending to the horizon.
Such control over that quantity of lava was enough to potentially destroy the world.
“However, the Demon King did not fight at full strength against me.”
The Demon God frowned.
“How dare she face me without using her full power?”
She seemed quite exasperated.
“Yet her last words were, ‘Die.’”
Reading her thoughts flowing into me, I understood why she wished to manifest the previous Demon King into reality.
“Do you wish to fight the previous Demon King again?”
“Yes.”
This arrogant Demon God wished to properly defeat the foe she considered the only blemish in her life.
She couldn’t accept the fact that she had won merely because her opponent was lenient.
“Revive the previous Demon King, Perlerina. I shall prove my purity derived from victory by subjugating her into submission.”
…Why are all the gods like this, filled with such twisted notions?
Is that the only way to become a god?
“Well, it’s possible.”
But thanks to that, I clearly understood what kind of story I needed to weave.
“However, there are several conditions necessary for this.”
“What are they?”
“Even the manifestation of the ten warriors and Saint Kate requires several conditions.”
Having overheard the conversation between Ren and the Mage Engineer through my device, I was able to grasp what was going on.
I wasn’t particularly shocked that Kate’s resurrection was something the Mage Engineer was executing, but the resurrection of all ten warriors was quite shocking.
However, thanks to the Mage Engineer explaining various things, I barely understood how that resurrection was possible.
The process of overcoming the part that constitutes their identity as the names of the Star Lords and making it their own.
That process was necessary for the resurrection of a beloved one.
It would likely be extremely difficult for the Demon God to achieve this.
Probably a futile effort.
But it didn’t matter.
My goal isn’t to fulfill the dreams of the Demon God.
Upon hearing my conditions, the Demon God pondered.
“It doesn’t matter for other players to view a story about you and the Demon King, but… does that mean you have to play the game as well?”
“Yes, that’s correct. The Mage Engineer and the sacrifice both played the game directly, which made the resurrection of the deceased possible.”
“Ugh….”
It seemed the part where she had to directly play the game didn’t sit well with the Demon God.
“Are you perhaps afraid of not being able to play a game, being the King of Demons?”
Bang!
“Of course not! It’s just… just that I was wondering if it’s necessary for me to go through that troublesome task myself! I can’t possibly feel fear!”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
I smirked.
Reading the thoughts of the Demon God made me feel I had a way to handle her.
Her mindset was dominated by arrogance to a fault.
“First, let’s take a look at the memories of the Demon God. Then I’ll need time to process it into an episode.”
“This won’t take a few days?”
“Three days should be sufficient.”
That would be the day the new version launches.
Just in time to introduce the new content along with the new episode, Act 2.
“Alright. I’ll be watching.”
Whoosh!
The Demon God tore through the fantastical world created by dreams.
“….”
Left alone, I could feel her gaze still watching over me.
Was she keeping her eyes on me so that I wouldn’t break my promise?
For someone so arrogant, she sure seemed scared.
But it didn’t matter.
Because I would keep my promise.
Initially, I thought to twist the original history a bit to confine her in the story.
But after seeing the Demon God’s memories, I felt it unnecessary.
‘As long as I reveal the truth she is unaware of, that should be enough.’
How would she react upon encountering the completed episode?
One thing was for sure; the truth would shatter her mind, and she wouldn’t be able to escape from this world on her own.
I can’t wait; I’m bursting with anticipation.
How am I supposed to wait for three days?
*
At the very bottom of the rift in dimensions, seven shadowy figures emerged from the darkness where not even an inch could be seen.
[The second seed has perished.]
[The first was coincidental, but the second can’t just be coincidence.]
[Someone is interfering with our harvest.]
[That’s impossible.]
[It seemed that way, but it wasn’t.]
[Who is going to go?]
[I will go.]
[No objections here.]
[I have no objections either.]
[It’s decided.]
[The meeting is adjourned.]
Six of the seven figures vanished, leaving only one behind.
The remaining small figure soared high.
Confident that she would eliminate the obstacle since she had stepped forward, little did she know she would be called the weekly boss.