One Chance
A girl left alone in the deepest chamber of the Demon King's castle.
She desperately searched for the Demon God, but no answer came.
No matter how hard she looked, her companion was nowhere to be found.
The girl wanted to give up everything and collapse in tears.
But she couldn't.
She had become the Demon King.
The sole hope of the demon race—if the Demon King failed to fulfill her mission, all would suffer.
The girl steeled herself and stepped out of the Demon King's castle.
She wandered the continent.
She gathered her kin suffering in every corner of the land.
One by one, demons began to follow her.
All demons under the Demon King started to unite as one.
Humans could not tolerate the rebirth of a centralized demon nation.
The head of state of the republic most hostile to demons—a mustachioed chancellor—sent armies repeatedly to dismantle them, but the Demon King repelled every assault.
A king who blocked all human attacks and kept them safe.
More and more demons flocked to her side.
While saving more of her kin, the girl found another orphan who had lost her family to humans.
Her name was Huphnis.
A child burning with hatred for humanity.
"You're Huphnis, right? I'm Lina. Call me Lina."
Seeing her younger self in the child, the girl took her as a disciple.
Hoping that, after her death at the hands of the allied forces as a slayer, this child would lead the demons into an era of peace and harmony.
"Sob... hic..."
The Demon God, isolated in a pocket dimension, witnessed it all.
Her previous life, the events that had unfolded in reality, were playing out exactly the same.
The girl took her in as a disciple and taught her.
"No, look. Focus it right here in your lower abdomen like this..."
She taught this world's version of herself exactly as she had been taught.
"That's it! That's how you wield demonic energy!"
"It's exactly... the same..."
Everything matched the Demon God's memories of her past life.
History flowed identically.
"Huphnis."
"...What, Lina."
"Hey now. Don't call your sky-like master by name."
"...Blood."
"Pfft. Just kidding. Call me whatever."
"So what are you trying to say."
[Last Choice]
The story's protagonist is struggling with her decision due to the influence of erosion.
Go and help her make the choice.
The Demon God suddenly remembered having this exact conversation with her master in her past life.
It was a precious, vital memory that had happened, but one obscured by the [Pride] that had consumed her.
"Later."
"Yeah."
"If I disappear."
The Demon King paused, steadying her emotions.
"If I vanish someday and you're the only one left. Then you have to lead the demons. You'll be the next Demon King after me."
"What're you talking about all of a sudden."
"Just in case."
She hadn't understood back then.
Not even a hint.
What her master was thinking.
Ah! How foolish I was then!
"You can do it. You can lead everyone through the chaos and bring an era of peace and harmony."
"...You're acting weird today, Lina. Eat something bad?"
"Nah, just... getting all sentimental for no reason."
The Demon King looked up at the star-filled sky.
"She's watching over us too, right?"
Watching...
I'm watching, Master...!
The Demon God wanted to shatter the invisible dimensional barrier binding her and fly to the Demon King right then.
But doing so would break the dream's authority that formed this world, including her master.
The Demon God couldn't allow that.
This dream had become more important to her than reality itself.
Time flowed on.
"I, the King of Ten Thousand Demons, Ferelina, hereby declare Perleino—the foundation for demons to live freely and autonomously!"
The girl who became Demon King rallied her kin and proclaimed the Demon Kingdom.
A nation solely for demons, to protect them.
Demons scattered across the continent gathered under her.
Many nations that despised demons schemed to topple the kingdom, but the Demon King thwarted them all.
Yet even in defense, losses were inevitable, and sacrifices bred more vengeance in a cycle of revenge.
No more delays.
"...I want to see that world. But it'll be tough."
The night before executing her plan.
Alone in her office, the Demon King downed strong liquor.
"Lina, not asleep?"
"Ah... Just a little tonight, then bed."
"...Yeah?"
Her disciple looked at her with pity.
"No one thinks you're wrong, Lina. The bad ones are those screaming hate and revenge. All the sane folks like you."
"Pfft, thanks, Huphnis."
"So chin up, got it?"
Her disciple blurted her final words and fled to her room, embarrassed.
"Thanks, Huphnis. ...Really. Goodnight."
Alone again, the Demon King drank more.
"Demon God, it's finally the final stage. The reason you saved me. The reason I became Demon King."
From fleeing human mercenaries as a child to inheriting the throne.
Countless memories with the Demon God flashed through her mind.
"Time to break the chain of hatred."
Tears welled in the Demon King's eyes.
"I can't be forgiven, right? So many will die. From the demon radicals who want to exterminate all humans to the humans who want to wipe us out."
Come morning, the colossal sin she would commit.
Its weight crushed her shoulders.
Not just the wicked or vengeful—countless innocents would perish too.
No matter how much for peace, mass slaughter could never be justified.
"But... we have to break the chain of hatred. So...!"
Tears brimmed on the Demon King's face.
"Demon God! Can't you take this cup from me? I, I can't bear...!"
Stop!
Don't do it!
You don't have to!
Why carry all that burden yourself!
The Demon God screamed until her throat tore.
But not a speck of sound reached the Demon King.
"...I want to see it too. An era without hate. I want to go there. To the time of peace and harmony."
Emotions surged in the Demon King.
"Why can't I! Why me...!"
I'll show you.
I'll show you the world you created.
So please!
Soon, the Demon King calmed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"But I have a mission. That's why I was born into this world."
Her hands trembled violently.
"...If you were here, Demon God, I could decide right away. Doing it alone is hard. ...But you're watching, right, Demon God?"
Clang!
With the game system's alert, the dimensional barrier binding the Demon God shattered.
"Lina!"
The Demon God flew toward the Demon King.
"...Demon God?"
Hearing her voice, the Demon King looked up, eyes wide.
"Demon God!"
Just as the Demon God reached her—
"What the hell are you doing."
A black-haired boy appeared between them, slicing through.
"I emphasized the story mustn't deviate. Forgot already?"
It was the Keeper of the [Akashic Archive].
* * *
I appeared before the Demon God in the Keeper's body, blocking her path.
If she unleashed her full power and shattered the dream's authority, even I wouldn't survive—but she wouldn't do that.
Without that, she couldn't beat me.
As long as the dream's authority held, I was omnipotent in this world.
Now for the test.
Originally, I planned to trap her here forever.
Couldn't release a monster who'd hounded our investors like that, and if she learned I'd fooled her, it'd be more than I could handle.
But watching her story changed my mind a bit.
Maybe give her one chance.
If she could shed that arrogance consuming her... then maybe free her.
"Huphnis. Planning to ruin the story?"
The Demon God glared at me.
"Yes. This tale displeases us. We'll rewrite it all."
"We are the Keeper of the [Akashic Archive]. Altering the original story is forbidden."
"[Akashic Archive] be damned! We care nothing for such trash! We will save our master! Our Lina!"
"I see."
Snap.
I flicked my fingers.
Vmmm.
Invisible energy bound the Demon God.
"Kgh! W-What is this!"
This world was mine.
I could create laws even gods couldn't escape.
All her power was sealed by my energy.
"Damn it! Release these wretched chains now!"
"...Huphnis, what is that girl to you."
Reading her thoughts flowing into me, she'd changed greatly since entering this world.
If she discarded her arrogance.
Admitted her flaws, shed pride and contempt.
I believed there was hope for her.
Hope to escape that untamable Demon God.
Then maybe I could back up this world and give it to her.
Lost in thought, her mind seemed to flow in the right direction.
"That girl is... our..."
As the Demon God opened her mouth—
Krunch.
"Gahk!"
A black hand burst through my chest.
What the hell.
This wasn't in my scenario.
A black silhouette pierced me from behind with its hand.
[Obstacle removing our seed.]
A face so pitch-black, eyes, nose, mouth indistinguishable.
Its mouth split open unnaturally wide.