Before I could fully grasp the identity of the voice, chaos erupted.

“Aaahhh!”

Aldred let out a piercing scream, her body sent flying as if struck by a violent gale. She crashed into a tombstone in the distance.

Bang!

The impact shattered several tombstones nearby, scattering debris everywhere. Aldred lay sprawled across the ruins, seemingly unconscious.

Shocked, I instinctively touched my hair and the back of my neck.

Thankfully, the scythe hadn’t sliced through my throat as Aldred was thrown away.

For now, I was alive.

But there was something even more pressing than the fact that my neck was still intact.

‘…That voice, could it be?’

Cautiously, I turned my head, a weight pressing heavily on my chest.

It felt as though time had stopped, my breath caught in my throat.

The simple act of turning my head seemed to take an eternity.

Finally, the owner of the voice came into view.

He was the one who had sent Aldred flying with terrifying force.

I could never forget that figure.

It was the same as the day my father, in an instant, became someone else and vanished before my eyes.

Two imposing yet elegant horns extended from his head.

Black hair and crimson eyes, both unfamiliar.

But there was one thing different from that day—the way he looked at me.

His gaze was warm and tender, the same as it had always been when we were together, filled with affection.

It was entirely unlike the contemptuous look the Demon King gave me. It was deep and heartfelt.

I felt a lump rise in my throat.

“…Dad?”

“Crescent.”

He called my name with a smile that made his cheeks lift like they always had.

In that moment, the appearance of the Demon King disappeared from my vision. What I saw was my dad—Lloyd Delight, with his golden hair and brilliant green eyes, just as he’d been when we lived in Neverland.

Was I really meeting my dad here?

“Dad!”

“Crescent!”

I ran toward him without hesitation, and he ran toward me.

As I reached out, Dad lifted me in his arms with both hands.

I had thought it would take an incredibly long time to see him again, yet here he was, right before me.

Even though he appeared as the Demon King, he was still my dad, his self intact.

My mind went blank. No coherent thoughts came to me—only tears welled up in my eyes.

Nothing else mattered anymore.

I had my dad back.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, and I reached out to wrap my arms around his neck.

But in that very moment—

I was hurled away with immense force.

In an instant, I was airborne, crashing hard into the ground.

Thud!

An overwhelming pain shot through me, as if every bone in my body had shattered.

“Ugh, what…?” I groaned unconsciously.

What just happened?

Did Dad throw me?

…Or was that not Dad?

Step, step.

Footsteps approached me.

The sound alone carried a suffocating weight.

I looked up to see my father’s figure. But he was no longer my father.

His crimson eyes bore the same terrifying intensity as the Demon King’s once more.

“Don’t call me that.”

“….”

Was this… some kind of split personality?

Just moments ago, he had welcomed me with my dad’s warm eyes and voice.

Ignoring the searing pain in my body, I forced myself to stand and faced the Demon King with a defiant glare.

“What have you done to my dad?”

The Demon King’s eyes glimmered with amusement as a smirk crept onto his lips.

“What do you mean, ‘what’? That fool isn’t strong enough to take on the Demon King.”

“…My dad’s consciousness is still alive, isn’t it?”

The person I met just now was undoubtedly Lloyd.

Even in the original game, after the Demon King’s death, Lloyd’s soul expressed his longing for his daughter.

So even now, my father’s soul must still exist within the Demon King.

Just like how I had seen him moments ago.

“That weakling’s just flailing about in vain. He’ll disappear soon enough. Your dad is gone for good.”

The Demon King sneered mockingly.

Infuriating.

If I were his size, I would’ve smacked him across the head a dozen times by now.

Instead, I dashed toward the Demon King, circling around him while yelling at the top of my lungs.

“Dad! Dad, can you hear me? It’s me, Crescent! Your daughter! Daaaad!”

“Shut up! Stop calling me that!”

Flames burst from the Demon King’s crimson eyes, and his voice roared so loudly that my eardrums felt like they’d split.

Undeterred, I shouted back.

“What’s wrong with calling my dad ‘Dad’?!”

“You insolent brat! I should kill you right now.”

The Demon King grabbed my neck with one enormous hand, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. There was no time to dodge.

My legs dangled helplessly in the air.

“Urgh… This isn’t good….”

My throat was completely crushed.

This wasn’t just a normal man’s grip—it was the Demon King’s. My frail neck couldn’t withstand it.

At this rate, my neck would snap like a twig.

I couldn’t breathe, let alone speak.

…Was I really going to die so helplessly here?

My vision blurred as my mind began to fog over.

The Demon King’s mocking laughter echoed faintly in my ears.

“Hahaha. Die. Just die already—oh! Crescent!”

“!”

Suddenly, my airways opened.

“Are you okay, my daughter?”

The same hand that had been strangling me now cradled me gently as the Demon King’s voice turned frantic.

Gasping for air, I finally opened my eyes.

The red eyes focused on me were filled with nothing but worry.

“D-Dad… huff…”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve saved you sooner. It must’ve hurt so much. Look at your neck—it’s going to bruise badly.”

“Huff… huff…”

“Breathe slowly. You were almost in real danger just now. I’m so sorry, my dear…”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Just moments ago, I had wanted to hit that face, but now all I felt was relief.

As I caught my breath, I managed to speak.

“Huff… Dad? Is it really you?”

He nodded with a sorrowful smile, tears still brimming.

“Yes. The Demon King’s trying to kill you, but how could I just stand by? I promised to always protect my little angel.”

“Dad…”

Tears filled my eyes as well.

How long had I yearned for this embrace? There had been moments when I thought I might never see him again.

Still gasping for air, I whispered, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, my dear daughter.”

Dad pulled me closer, patting my back gently. It was the same comforting embrace I remembered before we were separated.

Warm and safe, like a fledgling returning to its nest.

Desperate not to lose him again, I clung to his shirt and blurted out, “Dad, let’s go home right now.”

The house was still there.

…The walls needed some repairs, but everything else was just as we’d left it.

If we went back, we could live together again.

I’d found Dad—what else could stop us?

But as Dad placed his hand gently on my head, warmth filled his touch, yet his eyes reflected sadness.

“…I’m sorry, Crescent. I have to deal with the Demon King first. Only then can I protect you.”

“….”

I already knew it wasn’t possible.

Even so, I couldn’t help but whine like a child.

I burst into tears, unable to hold them back.

We’d only just been reunited, but I knew we would have to part again so soon.

For our little family, the path ahead was far too difficult. We had to defeat the Demon King while saving Dad, who was trapped within him.

Hearing my sobs, Dad lifted me high into the air with both hands.

“There, there, my little one. You’ve grown so much while I was away.”

His lips curled into a wide grin.

But his eyes remained sorrowful.

Just like me, he was hurting too, but I could tell he was trying to cheer me up.

So this daughter decided to lighten the mood, just a bit.

“Ugh, I’m not a little kid anymore! I’m almost nine years old.”

“Of course, you’re all grown up now. Let’s just think of this as a brief study abroad trip where we’re apart for a while. Daddy’s just traveling in the Demon Realm.”