NoveLight ™
- "Poor Demon King-chan. Her story is so heartbreaking."
- "A sacrifice to break the chain of hatred between demons and humans…."
- "Hmph. A murderer is a murderer, no matter the excuse."
- "No matter how noble her goal, you can't justify slaughtering countless lives."
- "Seriously, what’s wrong with the people picking the genocide option?"
- "Then why don’t you come up with a better alternative? How would you break the chain of hatred?"
- "God-tier Demon King."
The entire continent buzzed with fervent debate over a single figure.
Endless opinions, clashing without resolution, sparked heated arguments.
Part of the reason for the intensity was the figure's established importance in history—
No one could claim ignorance of her existence.
The irreconcilable conflict of values elevated the perception of the Demon King.
And all these debates, thoughts, and emotions coalesced—
“...My disciple.”
They awakened her.
***
BANG!
I forced the unidentified entity that had pierced me out of my body, creating distance between us.
“…What are you?”
It wasn’t something I had created.
So, it must have come from outside the dream world.
[Not a god.]
[Mortal eliminates the seed?]
[Impossible.]
[Yet, the seed of pride is nearly eradicated.]
[Confirmed.]
[Interloper.]
The black figure tilted its head, mumbling incoherently.
Whatever it was muttering, I didn’t care.
“You’ve barged into my space and disrupted my business. I hope you’re ready to take a beating.”
The essence of the world swirled around me, drawn by my will.
As long as this world remained intact, I was its ultimate authority.
If you want to start with stabbing me, then I’ll return the favor.
The gathered energy shaped itself into a spear, sharp and precise.
I extended my hand, sending the spear hurtling toward the intruder.
It raised its hands to block, as if anticipating the attack.
[Chaotic Displacement.]
Black sludge oozed from its body, writhing unnaturally.
BOOM!
My spear struck, but the sludge absorbed the blow.
I increased the spear’s rotational force to enhance its penetration, but the sludge swallowed it whole.
“What?”
The sludge seemed to ripple, as if digesting the spear. It then disappeared, absorbed into the figure.
[Impossible.]
Its featureless black face somehow conveyed mockery.
[The authority of gods does not affect me.]
“…Impossible? That’s all you can say? You’re a broken record.”
I focused.
In this world, my capabilities were limitless.
My imagination was my power.
Dozens of portals opened behind me, each generating a devastating attack.
My imagination, shaped by countless fictional worlds on Earth, was far beyond anything this entity could comprehend.
Fire.
A barrage of attacks, each capable of ending a story, was unleashed, targeting the black sludge figure.
Each attack carried unimaginable destructive power, enough to overwhelm even a god.
I was certain it couldn’t defend against this in my world.
WOOOM.
An odd resonance emanated from the figure, and all the attacks were nullified.
[Impossible.]
Attacks I had thought unstoppable—erased by a single act.
This can’t be happening.
This is my world.
How is it countering the power I wield here, power akin to a developer using cheat codes?
…This is bad.
I immediately tried to contact the Constellation.
Beeeeep…
Beeeeep…
What’s this? Why can’t I get through?
Constellation?
Communication interference?
It felt as if the power linking me to the Constellation had been rendered useless.
…No way.
SPLASH.
Black sludge spread out from the entity, flowing outward like an ominous tide.
[Divine authority is meaningless to us.]
“…Tch.”
I gathered what remaining strength I could to create a barrier, holding back the encroaching sludge.
If it truly could nullify the dream's divine authority…
This was the worst-case scenario.
Escape from this world was impossible.
I had to defeat it with what was left here… somehow.
I glanced toward the Demon God below.
Her mind was intact, but relying on her was unlikely.
She wouldn’t act, not when it risked collapsing this world—something she desperately wanted to preserve.
BOOM!
I gritted my teeth, using the last reserves of my strength to fend off the sludge.
“This is seriously bad.”
If I die here, am I safe in reality?
Didn’t the Constellation once mention something about "permanent damage"?
This wasn’t a fight I could afford to lose.
***
The Demon God gazed blankly at the battle between the two transcendent beings above her.
The one who called himself the Overseer of this world wasn’t just an NPC.
She could sense it now—
The familiar presence of a divine emissary.
“So that’s what it was…”
When she had first realized the truth, she had thought he was simply playing a role to mock her.
But now, with most of her Pride washed away, she understood.
He wasn’t mocking her. He was trying to heal her.
To strip away the sin clouding her mind and help her see the truth.
The truth about her mentor.
The entity he was fighting above—the dark and malevolent force—was undoubtedly the one who had planted this sin in her.
Now that her Pride was nearly eradicated, it sought to reintroduce chaos and confusion.
She knew what she needed to do.
Her power had to be unleashed immediately.
She had to destroy that malevolent force and save the one who had helped her.
She understood it logically, but…
The end of this world—she couldn’t accept it.
The days spent with her mentor,
From her mentor’s childhood to this very moment,
Every memory they had shared—
It wasn’t false.
She couldn’t bear to lose it all.
The Demon God swallowed her tears.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“I am… an unworthy god. I can’t betray my mentor and let her die again.”
The Demon King’s Resolve
“Demon God…”
The Demon King approached the bound figure of the Demon God.
“It’s been… a long time,” the Demon God greeted her with a strained, awkward smile.
The Demon King bit her lip, looking at her.
“You know, Demon God, I resented you.”
“…I know.”
“For leaving me. For abandoning me after promising to stay. Every night, I cried and cursed you, unable to understand why you left me behind.”
“I understand.”
The Demon God had seen it all.
Through the accelerated flow of time in this world, she had witnessed every moment of the girl’s sorrow, loneliness, fear, and inner conflict.
She had felt every ounce of that pain.
“But… I didn’t realize that you were still fighting. That you were carrying on your own battle.”
The sight of the godlike beings clashing above, and the bound figure of the Demon God before her—
It became clear that the Demon God had been fighting for her all along.
Compared to her mentor, the Demon King realized how much of a child she still was.
“Urgh!”
The Demon King grabbed at the force binding the Demon God and began tearing at it.
The power that held her was not something any creation should have been able to touch,
but the girl refused to stop.
“This time… I won’t lose you. My Demon God…”
Her power flared, burning through her hands as molten energy spilled forth to melt the chains.
“This time! I won’t lose you again!”
She poured her strength into the effort, her hands blistering and her energy draining away.
Yet the bonds remained unchanged.
“Lina…”
The Demon God bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
With her will alone, she could break these chains.
All it would take was to destroy the dream’s authority.
But…
“The dream’s authority cannot be destroyed.”
To achieve what the Demon King was striving for, this world and the girl within it had to be sacrificed.
The Demon God wasn’t ready to accept that.
“Why won’t it break?! Why?! Why can’t I save you after finding you again?! Why?!”
The Demon God couldn’t grant the girl’s desperate wish.
Even if the benefactor fighting above was killed by the malevolent force, she couldn’t act.
“I’m sorry… Lina.”
As the Demon God closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face.
A warm hand cupped her cheek.
…?
Even in her incorporeal state, she felt the warmth.
Opening her eyes, she found the Demon King stroking her cheek, smiling warmly.
“It’s been a while, my dear disciple.”
“L-Lina? Is it… really you, Mentor?”
“Yes. How have you been?”
The Demon King’s expression glowed with the kindness of the mentor she had longed for.
“My little disciple has grown so much. Pretending to be a mentor to your mentor, no less.”
“N-no, it’s not like that! I wasn’t trying to become your mentor! I just—!”
Flustered, the Demon God stammered, her words spilling out. Lina laughed softly.
“My dear disciple. Even as a god, you’re still adorable.”
“Ugh, you’re always teasing me…”
The Demon God puffed her cheeks in mock indignation.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” the Demon God asked. “Why didn’t you tell me what you planned—to sacrifice yourself to break the chain of hatred?”
“If I had, would you have let me go?”
“…No.”
Lina pulled the Demon God into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry. I gave you too heavy a burden. It must have been so hard for you.”
“…Yeah. You’re awful, Lina.”
“Pfft. I’m sorry. Truly. And… you did so well.”
Lina stroked her disciple’s hair gently.
“I never imagined you’d do so well. To sever all hatred and bring about an age of peace.”
“I have so much to tell you,” the Demon God said.
“So much I want to show you. How your sacrifice changed the world. How peaceful it became.”
“And I want to hear it. But… you know, don’t you?”
“Lina, no.”
“The Demon King has a duty.”
“No.”
“As the ruler and protector, there are things I must do.”
“No! Please, Lina! I don’t want to lose you again!”
“Shh.”
Lina silenced her with a gentle finger to her lips.
“You’re the Demon God, aren’t you? The greatest protector of the demons, far beyond a mere king.”
“Lina…”
“I believe in you. You’ll vanquish evil and restore peace and justice. You’ll be the greatest Demon God this world has ever seen.”
The Demon God bit her lip so hard it bled.
“Lina, I…”
“You’ll do it, won’t you, my beloved Demon God?”
What omnipotence? What arrogance?
I wasn’t an omnipotent god.
I couldn’t even save the one I loved.
What right did I have to call myself the strongest?
The last remnants of Pride shattered within her.
ROOOOOAR!
Divine energy erupted from the Demon God, sweeping across the world.
“Lina.”
There was so much I wanted to say,
So much I wanted to show you.
Tears blinded me.
I couldn’t accept it.
Another farewell.
How could this be goodbye when we’d only just found each other again?
“I love you, Lina.”
I couldn’t say more.
If I did, the resolve I’d barely managed to gather would crumble.
BOOOOOM!
The Demon God soared into the sky.
She couldn’t look back.
If she did, she’d collapse where she stood and revert to a weeping child.
She had to find an outlet for this overwhelming emotion,
To destroy the evil that had forced her mentor to face another death.
As the Demon God unleashed her overwhelming power, the dream's authority unraveled.
The false dream she had cherished more than reality fell apart.
Like waking from a dream, every element blurred and faded.
“I love you too, my dear Demon God.”
At the heart of the fading dream, the demon girl smiled.
Her proud disciple, mentor, companion, and precious child.
With one final, loving glance, the Demon King disappeared into nothingness.