My daughter…

Her entire body was on fire.

She felt as if molten metal flowed through her veins, causing immense pain.

Her skin ripped and regenerated over and over again.

But that pain was not as intense as the agony in her heart.

GROOOAAARR—

A roar that could not possibly be thought to have come from a human.

Her vision turned red as she took one step after another toward her daughter. Inside her chest, the desire for destruction and murder surged uncontrollably, wreaking havoc in her mind.

Yet no feeling.

No pain at all.

As painful as the torment of her heart.

My daughter.

My precious child.

The child who wouldn’t hurt even if I put her in my eyes was crying out before her.

Her heart felt as if it would tear apart at the sight of her child thrashing about, screaming toward her.

Oh, my dear. I’m coming. I won’t leave you alone anymore.

***

“Hahaha!! Captain! Did you see that? How could I not respect you?”  
“Cough…”  

The captain’s torso was impaled by three swords, and he was spitting blood.  
“Your actions were not wrong. You truly found the demon!”  
“Demon…?”  
“Do you see that horrifying creature? Truly, it is the very essence of a demon. Who would have thought that they carry the bloodline of the ‘demon tribe’ as mentioned in legends?”  
“That can’t be. They were… ordinary people.”  

In the direction Clay was looking stood a massive red beast over five meters tall, indiscriminately swinging its tentacles and destroying everything around it.

“Haha. Perhaps you’re right, Captain. If we hadn’t been here, it might have been so. But thanks to the subjects you kept hidden, we were able to produce such clear results.”  
“Cough. What happened to them?”  
“Of course, they were used as sacrifices for the experiments. It’s a shame, really. If we could have awakened that girl, the results would have been much better… They say she has the thickest bloodline. But it seems the Mage Tower has already interfered too much for it to be effective.”  
“Ugh.”  
“The primary subject had to have its emotions maximally amplified, which was cumbersome, but still, a success is a success.”  

As the beast rampaged, the mages from the Mage Tower and other knight orders began preparing to subdue it.

“Hmmm… but it shouldn’t be able to maintain its rationality…”  

The beast continued its indiscriminate attacks while steadily approaching the execution platform.

“Regardless, the impact is less than expected. They say their traits are most effective when their emotions run high?”  

The captain felt a sense of unease at Clay’s words.

“Enough… stop it.”  
“Haha. The sinner should step back at this point.”  

Clay instructed his surroundings to bombard the execution platform with magic aimed at the girl.

“If her daughter explodes right in front of her, it will make for the best performance.”  
“Crazy… bastard.”  
“Haha. That should satisfy the higher-ups. The Mage Tower will be delighted to obtain the best specimen.”  

Then, he turned back to the captain with a sinister grin.

“I’ll move up from deputy to captain.”  

As the mages prepared their magic, mana swirled in the area. Despair clouded the captain’s eyes as the mages’ mana began to gather above them, creating an ominous phenomenon.

Whoooosh—

“…!”  

A dark red sphere of ominous energy was visible even from afar.

Clay remained unfazed at the sight.

“Do you see that? The horrifying mana that raises goosebumps just by looking at it? This is the result of the research we’ve conducted on them.”  
“….”  
“Currently, the Empire has reached its limits due to long wars and divisions. It is impossible to achieve results with mere propaganda plays. We need a powerful enemy to unite the Empire. Not a demon that resembles humans, but a true monster, a demon lord itself. One that we can control and move as we please.”  

The captain could sense the treachery hidden within Clay’s smile.

If they could create a controllable monster, it would be easy to eliminate the human opposition that threatened their political standings.

A monster born from endless greed, not for the unity of humanity. That was the essence of the project Clay was currently conducting.

Boom—

Magic exploded against the creature’s tentacles and struck the execution platform. Soon after, a blast occurred at the center of the platform.

“Eh?”  

After the huge explosion that sent people flying, Clay frowned.

“What’s going on?”  

As the smoke cleared, a blue barrier enveloped the execution platform.

***

“Mother…”  
“My child… why are you crying?”  
“Mom…”  

Tears streamed down the girl’s distorted vision. In her arms was her mother, half-human again, gently stroking her head. Although her left side remained submerged in monstrous flesh, the warmth in her mother’s eyes made it clear she was indeed her mother.

The girl felt an overwhelming urge to scream, yet she hesitated upon reading a message in the air. She awkwardly grasped her mother’s hand, smiling sadly, her eyes glistening with tears.

“I missed you.”  
“I missed you too, my daughter… so much that you’d come into my dreams every day. You’ve grown a lot, haven’t you?”  
“Yeah… you haven’t changed at all!”  

The girl and her mother, both adorned in monstrous forms, gazed at each other, remembering their warm past.

“My daughter… it’s been hard, hasn’t it?”  
“Yeah… I’ve missed you, Mom, and it’s been tough.”  

The girl showed a pout, trying to hide her trembling hand. Her mother lovingly stroked her as if to reassure her.

“I’m sorry. I should have come to find you sooner…”  
“No, it’s okay. I’m just happy to see you now.”  
“My daughter, but what shall we do? I’m feeling so sleepy.”  

The girl, unable to contain the swell of emotions, forced a smile as she bade farewell to her mother.

“Let’s eat something delicious and go play after you wake up.”  
“Then… can I sleep a little?”  
“Yes, sleep well.”  
“My daughter…”  
“…Mom.”  

As the woman with a smile finally succumbed to eternal sleep, the star that had been in the girl’s heart dimmed. No, it became a brighter star, destined to linger in her heart forever.

Next to her, the clown doll revealed itself. However, the clown was in poor condition, its body broken and sparking.

[Emergency barrier activated]  
[Self-repair system - unavailable]  
[Remaining power: 0.12%]  

A green hexagonal barrier surrounded them, preventing anyone from approaching.

Partshoo—crackle—

The clown gathered all its emergency power to protect the woman’s final moments.

Bang—boom—

“Break through!”  
“What is this? Mage! Hurry up and analyze!”  
“This isn’t a shield spell! There’s no shield spell this sturdy!”  
“It’s not magic.”  
“Then how can such a thing exist?!”  
“Capture that girl! She will be a great benefit to the Empire’s advancement…”  

The Imperial mages and knights hurled everything they had at the barrier, but it didn’t budge.

[Barrier durability below 5%]  
[Unable to maintain barrier. Brace for impact.]  

The girl, who had witnessed her mother’s departure, stood up.

“Thank you for waiting… I will fulfill the contract.”  

A shiver ran through her body from her toes to her head.

They commanded her, a mere ordinary human with nothing to her name, to take down the Imperial knights and mages. But why did it not sound unnatural?

Perhaps it was due to the immense power she felt coursing through her body now?

She glanced down at the red suit enveloping her body. A peculiar gem filled with starlight was embedded above her heart, shining brightly.

“What should I call you going forward?”  

[Administrator’s message received.]  
-…Master?  

The girl nodded.

“I will carry out your orders. Master.”  

Partshoo—click—  

The red demon descended upon the Imperial capital.