Twisted Fates
At the edge of the continent.
Beyond the eastern front of the Holden Kingdom stretched a land cloaked in perpetual darkness.
Humanity called it the Demon Realm and kept constant watch over it, for the wicked beings that might dwell there could strike at any moment.
The dense darkness blanketing the earth hid every living thing within and made it impossible to peer inside. No one knew what manner of monsters roamed those lands, and rumors abounded that demons themselves still lived there.
Ever since the first Hero had slain the Demon King, the demons had vanished without a trace. Some claimed only scattered remnants remained and that their power had been utterly crushed; others insisted the demons had simply gathered in the Demon Realm. Checking for oneself would have settled the matter, yet the Demon Realm was a land that refused to tolerate humans. Countless people who had set foot there never returned alive, claimed by the dangers lurking in the dark. As a result, not a single soul in the kingdom knew the truth about the demons.
“Pretty peaceful, isn’t it?”
“Peaceful, my ass. The final battle is only a year away.”
“One year left until Her Majesty the Demon King revives, right?”
“Yeah. When that day comes, we leave this place and conquer the lands of men.”
Just as so many had feared, the demons were living comfortably together in the Demon Realm. Unlike humans, they could move about without trouble even in darkness so thick one could not see an inch ahead. Any humans unaffected by the darkness were efficiently dealt with by demon spies who had already infiltrated the kingdom. Having bought themselves time to build their strength, the demons dreamed only of the day of vengeance.
They had failed, however, to account for the most fatal variable of all.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“What?”
“Something just flashed just now.”
“Pfft! What are you talking about all of a sudden? What’s there to flash in a land of pure darkness?”
“I’m serious! Something really did flash!”
“Yeah, yeah. Sure it did—in your imagination.”
The demon sentry insisted he had not been mistaken, but his partner only laughed. Telling him to drop the nonsense, the other sentry turned away and started back to his post.
That was when it happened.
“Guh—?!”
A razor-thin beam of light lanced down from the sky and punched clean through his right shoulder. The shoulder was torn completely away, taking the entire arm with it. Clutching the gushing wound, the sentry clenched his teeth. Yet the searing agony finally forced his head upward for a scream—and what filled his vision was a colossal living creature soaring through the sky above.
“A… dragon?”
The dragons had known everything. Even the darkness of the Demon Realm could not blind their eyes or deafen their ears. They had long been aware that the demons still lived and were rebuilding their power. Yet, as always, the dragonkin had taken no action. Just as humans feared dragons, so too did the demons. The dragons had believed the demons would never dare touch them—until that belief was shattered.
“I address every demon who dwells upon this land! Come forth and accept the price of the sin you have committed!”
Silver scales blazing brilliantly amid the darkness, the dragon glared down with furious eyes. She was the Wild Dragon who commanded light—the elemental opposite of the demons. Descending amid a baptism of thousands of light beams, she planted pure terror in every demon heart.
A few of the braver and stronger among them stepped outside the walls one by one to face her.
“O exalted dragon! Why have you come to our land and begun this slaughter?!”
“Slaughter? You are mistaken. This is no slaughter—it is judgment to atone for your sins!”
“Sins? What crime have we committed that you would attack us without warning?”
“Do not play the fool with me. You broke my precious daughter’s horn! I heard it from her own lips—will you still deny it? Or do you mean to mock me by calling my daughter a liar?”
If you do, I will tear you apart with my own claws.
At those words, cold sweat beaded on the faces of the demon officers who knew of the kidnapping plot. With far too many guilty secrets, they could not open their mouths. The lower- and mid-ranking demons who knew nothing of it, however, only grew furious at the Wild Dragon.
What lunatic would be stupid enough to provoke a dragon? Even if someone had, that was that demon’s crime alone—not theirs.
They protested loudly, and the higher-ranking demons’ expressions grew steadily grimmer. Revealing the truth would not only fail to spare them the Wild Dragon’s punishment; it might even spark a revolution. Yet taking the secret to their graves seemed equally impossible—the Wild Dragon looked ready to leave them no graves at all. Either choice led to the worst possible death.
As the shouting between demons and dragon rose higher and higher, Agares—the Demon King’s proxy and the highest authority among the demons at present—stepped forward.
“Wild Dragon. I wish to negotiate with you.”
“You who laid hands on my daughter dare speak of negotiation?”
“Your attack just now has already inflicted irreversible damage upon us. I ask that you show mercy for that and hear our words.”
“……Continue.”
The Wild Dragon Breeze listened with cool indifference. Taking that as a sign of possibility, Agares began his defense.
“First, I express our regret for the misfortune that befell your daughter. I do not know who was responsible, but since it was the work of our kin, I offer a formal apology.”
“…….”
“However, we who dwell in the Demon Realm had no part whatsoever in your daughter’s kidnapping. I beg you to believe in our innocence.”
Agares and every demon present bowed their heads as one in respect to the Wild Dragon. Though countless of their kin had already died, they still prostrated themselves, hoping only that she would show mercy and leave.
The Wild Dragon merely smirked, then dropped her voice to a chilling register.
“What an amusing tale. I never once said my daughter had been ‘kidnapped.’”
“Ah—!”
Only then did Agares realize his slip of the tongue. In his haste he had chosen the very word that proved his guilt, and the price was incalculable.
The upward curve of the Wild Dragon’s lips sank into a flat, deadly line. Her genuine fury swept across the Demon Realm, and every painstaking effort the demons had made crumbled in an instant.
Even a Wild Dragon, however, could not completely annihilate the demons. The few survivors had no choice but to begin an incomplete resurrection ritual—and with that, the world’s predetermined fate twisted.
[Deha! Deha! Hi everyone! Thanks for watching my stream again today, desu!]
Inside the crystal ball, a cute, lively white-haired girl beamed brightly. With a fresh, cheerful voice, Hades greeted the people beyond the crystal and smiled radiantly. The little fangs that peeked out whenever she laughed were one of her charms. Countless men watching her stream let their mouths hang open in goofy delight.
“Hehe, Hades-chan is the cutest again today…!”
And Kang Junhyuk was one of those countless men.
[You think I’m cute again today? Suke-chans, you say the same thing every single time—don’t you ever get tired of it?]
“Hmm… was my repertoire too identical?”
[Well, being called cute always feels nice no matter how many times I hear it, ehe~!]
“You’re the best, Hades-chan!”
She would pout as if she disliked the praise, only to blush faintly a moment later in shy embarrassment. That attitude—grumbling not because she hated compliments but because she was bashful—drove her viewers wild.
Just what kind of precious life-form was this? The mere fact that a woman like Hades existed in another world made Kang Junhyuk cheer with joy. In reality, advanced technology meant there was always a chance the streamer was actually a guy—netorare crossdressers ran rampant—but another world? Impossible, he had decided. Never mind that this world had magic instead of science.
[Whoa! Right from the start, a 10-gold donation from Guildmaster Suke! Thanks, desu! My ribs are shaking thanks to all you Suke-chans today…!]
“Oh right, Hades-chan’s handshake event is in three weeks, isn’t it?”
An event Hades was holding for her devoted fans—affectionately called “Suke-chans”—thanks to all the donations and support. Because too many people would be a problem, she would personally select only ten. That meant the fans had to compete fiercely to catch her eye. Kang Junhyuk’s fighting spirit was blazing.
If I want to add Hades-chan to my harem, I absolutely have to meet her this time and leave an impression…!
His donation ranking was twenty-first. To earn a handshake slot he needed to break into at least the top ten. But Kang Junhyuk was only an academy student. Compared to the high nobles and guild masters among the Suke-chans, he was pitifully poor. He could not simply fight them with gold.
It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. Even without this one thing, my growth shouldn’t be affected…!
Kang Junhyuk pulled a small pill from his backpack and, without hesitation, dropped it into the crystal ball.
A moment later—
[Oh my? There’s a naughty Suke-chan who put something other than gold in! Wait just a second!]
“Please…!”
Because it was not gold, there was a high chance of rejection. Once before, an extreme fan had sent the underwear he was wearing, and Hades had been furious. Ever since, she had flatly refused anything that was not gold. Yet the only card Kang Junhyuk had left was the top-grade elixir he had earned by grinding himself to the bone in dungeons.
[This is a Troll’s Elixir, isn’t it? Are you sure it’s okay to give something this precious to Hades?]
“Of course!”
[Thank you! Even though it’s not gold, it’s worth more than gold, so I’ll gratefully accept it! All right! Since I received such a special gift, how about I sing the Death-Death Song just for the Suke-chan who gave it to me!]
“Uhyooooh!”
Hades’s soul-shaking requiem, the Death-Death Song. Her sweet voice elevated the song to a level even the academy’s music department acknowledged. And she was going to sing it for him alone? Kang Junhyuk’s chest swelled until he could not help cheering.
Just as he was about to savor the song with pure joy—
“Junhyuk!”
Bang—!
A spoilsport burst into his room. Even with a hat pulled low, pink hair still peeked out. It was Sherin—Bern’s old childhood friend, the one Kang Junhyuk had stolen away.
“Are you watching that vixen Hades’s stream again? Stop looking at her and look at me, the one right in front of you!”
“Ah, fuck…”
Until not long ago, Kang Junhyuk had liked Sherin. But one day her ample chest had vanished, and with it her only real charm point. Even after her appeal disappeared, her jealousy only grew worse day by day, and his fondness for her withered. Now he disliked her. Her jealousy no longer felt cute at all. On top of that, she had just ruined the happiest moment of his day. Kang Junhyuk’s patience finally snapped; he decided then and there to break up with her.
And so their relationship slowly headed toward catastrophe.
“Hm? A crow?”
Having received the Blessing of Cold and now descending the snowy mountain, Rene and I were walking when a crow came flying straight toward us from the distant sky. I carefully extended my arm, and the bird settled neatly upon it.
“It’s a messenger crow.”
A small note was tied to its leg. Not only that—the crow was holding a round little pill in its beak, which it dropped into my open palm with a soft plop. To understand this mysterious gift, I had no choice but to unfold the note.
My Lord! Are you well? This is Hades, your eternal subordinate.
As I was earning money exactly as you commanded, a special gift happened to come my way, so I am sending this letter.
The medicine enclosed is called a Troll’s Elixir. If you take it, you will gain regeneration as swift as a troll’s!
I believed it would be of use to you, so I offer it. Please accept it with a glad heart!
And though it is a little embarrassing… my first handshake event is in three weeks. If you happen to have the time, would you perhaps attend…
“…What the hell?”
She’s still streaming?