NoveLight ™
In the deepest chamber of the Demon King’s castle, the girl stood alone.
She called desperately for the Demon God, but no response came.
No matter how long she searched, her companion was nowhere to be found.
The girl felt an overwhelming urge to collapse, to give up everything and simply cry.
But she couldn’t.
She was the Demon King now—the only hope of the demon race. If she failed to fulfill her mission, everyone would continue to suffer.
Steeling herself, the girl emerged from the castle and into the outside world.
She began traveling the continent, gathering her scattered kin who were suffering across the lands.
One by one, more demons flocked to her side.
Under the Demon King, the demon race began to unite.
The human nations, however, could not allow a centralized demon kingdom to rise again.
Among the most fiercely anti-demon nations was the Republic, led by its mustachioed dictator, who sent army after army to dismantle the Demon King’s forces.
But the Demon King repelled every attack, protecting her people.
A king who defended her people and ensured their safety—
More demons gathered under her banner, drawn to her strength and resolve.
One day, while rescuing more of her kind, the girl found another young demon who had lost her entire family to humans.
Her name was Huffniss.
The child was consumed by a deep hatred for humanity.
“Huffniss, is it? I’m Lina,” the Demon King said gently.
Seeing herself in the child, the girl took Huffniss as her disciple.
She hoped that after her own death as a butcher at the hands of the Allied Forces, Huffniss would lead the demons into a new era of peace and unity.
* * *
“Ugh… sob….”
The Demon God, isolated in a dimensional barrier, could only watch as everything unfolded.
The events she had witnessed in her past life, in the real world, were playing out exactly the same.
She watched the girl take Huffniss as her disciple and begin to teach her.
“No, no, look. Focus here—lower abdomen, inside.”
Just as the Demon God had taught the girl in the real world, the girl in this dream world taught her disciple.
“That’s it! That’s how you use mana!”
“It’s… identical….”
Everything was happening exactly as the Demon God remembered.
History was repeating itself.
“Huffniss,” Lina called.
“…What is it, Lina?”
“Ah, ah, no way. Addressing your mentor by name?”
“…Tch.”
“Haha, I’m kidding. Call me whatever you want.”
“What do you want to say, then?”
The Demon God remembered this conversation from her past life.
It had happened, though the Pride that had consumed her had buried the precious memory.
“Someday…”
“Hmm?”
“When I’m gone,” Lina said, pausing as if to steady her emotions.
“When I’m gone, and you’re the only one left, you’ll need to lead the demons. You’ll be the next Demon King.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Just in case.”
Back then, the Demon God hadn’t realized it.
She hadn’t suspected what her mentor had been planning.
Ah! How foolish I was back then!
“You’ll do great. You’ll lead everyone through the chaos and into an age of peace and unity.”
“Lina, you’re acting weird today. Did you eat something bad?”
“No, I’m just feeling sentimental for no reason.”
Lina lifted her gaze to the star-filled sky.
“She’s watching over us too, isn’t she?”
I’m watching….
I’m watching, Mentor!
The Demon God wanted to shatter the invisible dimensional walls confining her and fly to Lina.
But doing so would destroy the dream and its powers, along with her mentor and this world.
She couldn’t do it.
This dream had already become more real and precious to her than reality.
Time flowed on.
“I am Perlelina, King of All Demons! Today, I declare the establishment of Perlelaino, a homeland for the independence of all demons!”
The girl who had become the Demon King united her people and founded the Demon Kingdom—a nation solely for demons’ safety and protection.
Demons scattered across the continent gathered under her banner.
Many human nations, consumed by their hatred for demons, schemed to destroy the Demon Kingdom, but the Demon King repelled their every attack.
Yet, even in victory, losses mounted. Revenge bred more revenge.
The Demon King could delay no longer.
“…I’d like to see that world. But I don’t think I’ll make it there.”
The night before her plan’s execution, Lina sat alone in her office, drinking strong liquor.
“Lina, not sleeping?”
“Huh… no, just having a bit of a drink before bed.”
“…Alright.”
Huffniss looked at her mentor with concern.
“No one thinks you’re wrong, Lina. The ones to blame are the ones spouting hatred and revenge. The normal ones all respect you.”
“…Thanks, Huffniss.”
“So, hang in there, alright?” Huffniss stammered, embarrassed, and quickly dashed off to her room.
“Thanks, Huffniss… really. Goodnight.”
Alone again, Lina raised her glass and took another drink.
“Demon God, it’s finally the final stage. The reason you saved me. The reason I became the Demon King.”
Memories of her childhood—fleeing human mercenaries, inheriting the Demon King’s throne—flashed through her mind.
“And now it’s time to break the chain of hatred.”
Lina’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I can’t be forgiven, can I? So many people will die. From the extremists among the demons who demand humanity’s annihilation to the humans who want to erase the demons.”
The dawn of the next day loomed, bringing the weight of an unspeakable crime.
Not only the wicked and vengeful but countless innocents would lose their lives.
Even if it was for peace, a massacre could never be justified.
“But… the chain of hatred must be broken. That’s why…!”
Tears welled up in the Demon King’s eyes.
“Demon God! Can’t you take this cup from me? I… I don’t think I can bear it…!”
Stop!
Don’t do it!
There’s no need for this!
The Demon God screamed, her voice hoarse with desperation.
But not even a whisper of her cries reached the Demon King.
“I want to see it too. A time when all hatred is gone. I want to go to that era of peace and harmony.”
Lina’s emotions spilled out.
“Why can’t I go there? Why… me…!”
I’ll show you.
I’ll show you the world you’ve created.
So please, just stop!
Lina calmed herself, wiping her tear-streaked face with her trembling hands.
“But this is my mission. That’s why I was born into this world, isn’t it?”
Her hands shook violently.
“If only the Demon God were here… I could decide right away. It’s so hard on my own… But you’re watching, right, Demon God?”
Ding.
[Final Choice]
Crash!
With the sound of shattering glass, the dimensional barrier that had confined the Demon God broke apart.
“Lina!”
The Demon God flew toward the Demon King.
“...Demon God?”
Hearing her voice, Lina looked up with wide eyes.
“Demon God!”
Just as the Demon God reached her—
“What do you think you’re doing?”
A black-haired boy appeared between them.
“I warned you not to distort the story. Have you already forgotten?”
It was the Overseer of the [Akashic Archive].
***
I stood before the Demon God in the Overseer’s form, blocking her path.
If she unleashed her full power, tearing apart the dream's authority, even I wouldn’t come out unscathed. But she wouldn’t do that.
As long as the dream’s authority remained intact, she couldn’t defeat me.
In this world, I was omnipotent.
The moment of trial had arrived.
Initially, I intended to imprison the Demon God in this dream world permanently.
I couldn’t let a creature like her loose, not when she had driven our investors into such a corner.
And if she discovered how I had deceived her, it would create a disaster I couldn’t handle.
But after watching her story unfold, I began to reconsider.
Perhaps she deserved one chance.
If she could shed the arrogance consuming her—
If she could recognize her own flaws and let go of her pride—
Then perhaps… I could let her go.
“Huffniss,” I said, my voice calm. “Do you intend to ruin the story?”
She glared at me, her gaze filled with defiance.
“Indeed. I find this story unacceptable. I will rewrite it entirely.”
“We are the Overseer of the [Akashic Archive]. Altering the original story is forbidden.”
“[Akashic Archive] or not, I couldn’t care less about such accursed nonsense! I will save my mentor. I will save Lina!”
“I see.”
I snapped my fingers.
A low hum filled the air as an intangible force bound the Demon God.
“Ugh! What… is this?!”
“This world is one I created,” I said simply.
“Even the highest laws, which no god can escape, are within my authority to establish.”
The bindings sealed away all her power.
“Damn it! Release these cursed chains at once!”
“Huffniss,” I asked, looking deep into her restrained form, “what is that girl to you?”
As her thoughts flowed into me, I noticed how much she had changed since entering this world.
If she could abandon her arrogance,
If she could acknowledge her shortcomings and shed her pride—
Then I believed there was hope for her.
Hope that she could cast off the mantle of the overbearing Demon God.
If that were possible, perhaps I could back up this world and gift it to her.
The Demon God seemed lost in thought, her mind moving in the right direction.
“She is… my…”
Just as she opened her mouth to speak—
[Detected.]
Crack!
“Gah!”
A black hand tore through my chest.
What… was this?
This wasn’t part of my scenario.
A shadowy figure loomed behind me, its hand piercing clean through my body.
[An interloper eliminating the seed of our work.]
The figure’s face was so dark it blurred into itself, devoid of distinguishable features.
Its mouth, however, opened impossibly wide, stretching unnaturally across its form.