Chapter 786
The final defensive battle.
On the day it began.
Thud thud thud thud thud…
The earth shook violently.
The black lake bubbled and boiled, scattering foam around, and the next moment.
Whoosh!
The water's surface erupted like an explosion.
As the thick mist that had risen for an instant dissipated, the sight of monsters emerging and filling the black lake was revealed.
Various kinds of monsters that had been attacking the human world mixed together, pouring out like sewage overflowing during the rainy season.
Thump…! Thump…! Thump…! Thump…! Thump…!
As if they had come out wearing the color of the black lake all over their bodies, all of them dyed pitch black.
An endless number of monsters that rose to the surface, cutting through the water, began their march.
"…Gulp."
"S-so many…"
Observing this scene from the air, the Rompeller siblings aboard the airship 'Blue Pearl' swallowed dry saliva simultaneously.
"…"
Lucas, who was on board with them looking down at this sight, was calmly assessing the situation.
There were many monsters during the previous zombie invasion as well, but there was a decisive difference from now.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Red eyelight scattering obvious hostility.
Orderly ranks moving in groups.
The monsters were all advancing northward at their maximum speed while maintaining their original intelligence.
Unlike the zombies, they were in a state where they could exert all their abilities as monsters.
Their combat power is incomparable.
'No, it's meaningless to gauge individual combat power in the first place.'
Infinite.
As the final defensive battle approached, the lake was endlessly spewing out monsters.
It didn't matter how strong each individual was. After all, the infinite wave of monsters would eventually capture Crossroad and destroy the human world.
'Our role is to hold out as long as possible.'
While Ash had gone off alone for the final strategy.
Everyone in the World Guardian Front must hold back these monsters and endure for as long as possible.
'I will believe and wait, my lord.'
Lucas gripped the scabbard at his waist.
'I will protect the human world with my life until you return.'
Not much time had passed since the black lake started spewing out monsters, but already the area was covered with an enormous number of them.
And as flying-type monsters started to mix in intermittently, now they were dyeing the sky black as they flapped northward.
Confirming this sight, Lucas nodded heavily.
"Guerrilla unit, commence operation 'Lightning and Tsunami'."
Then Lucas stretched his arm to the side and shouted to the artillerymen.
"Prepare the first lightning! Blue Pearl, load the mana core missile!"
"Missile loaded-!"
"Entering launch sequence!"
The artillerymen who had been waiting tensely moved quickly.
All the special-grade mana cores remaining in Crossroad had been converted into missiles.
It was an extremely wasteful tactical weapon that turned globally rare materials into a single explosion. However, on the monster front facing the final battle, there was no room to consider this a luxury.
"Standard general mana core, ignition!"
"Standard high-grade, standard highest-grade, up to standard special-grade mana cores! Sequential mana reaction in order!"
"Launch preparation complete! Aiming complete! Sequence all clear! Ready to fire at any time!"
At the ready signal, Lucas commanded, pointing his hand forward.
"Fire! Crush their vanguard!"
Boom-!
A mana core missile was fired from the Blue Pearl's forward battery.
Inside the fired missile, four stages of mana cores resonated with each other, causing mana to condense in a spiral whirl and then-
The moment the missile reached its impact point, it burst all at once.
Kwaaaaang!
A white explosion erupted.
With a tremendous boom, the air rippled, the ground in the area split, and frozen trees were uprooted and flew backwards.
An enormous blast pressure swept the area, enough to make even the Blue Pearl, floating high in the air, sway.
Inside the violently shaking airship, people struggled to steady their bodies while holding onto whatever they could grab.
"Ugh…"
As the dazzling light faded, Lucas confirmed the point where the missile had fallen.
"…!"
Relief flashed in Lucas's blue eyes.
The vanguard monsters were utterly annihilated.
All the monsters within range of the tremendous explosion, whether flying or ground types, were completely crushed and shattered.
"Good…!"
Lucas, who was cheering without realizing it, soon had to close his mouth tightly.
The fallen and dying monsters dispersed and disappeared like black mist one by one.
And right behind them, still intact and still infinite monsters marched on nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
Everyone felt fear at the sight of the enemies casually nullifying the damage, precisely because our attack had been so powerful.
But Lucas did not waver.
"The purpose of our guerrilla unit is not to annihilate them!"
Such a thing is impossible in this battle from the start.
"Our goal is to weaken the horde of monsters that will reach Crossroad appropriately by inflicting as much damage on them as possible!"
The guerrilla unit is the lightning.
The final defense line of Crossroad's main castle is the tsunami.
Weaken the enemy with surprise lightning strikes, and crush the enemy with a mighty tsunami.
Endure for as long as possible like that.
This was the gist of the operation named 'Lightning and Tsunami'.
"Ignore the remnants that survive and march on! Just inflict damage on large groups!"
"…!"
"Don't waver and keep firing! We're putting holes in their forces! Load the next mana core missile-!"
"Missile loaded-!"
"Entering launch sequence!"
And, while Blue Pearl was loading the second missile.
Whoosh!
The Griffin unit of the Sky Knights, which had departed earlier, shot down like an arrow over the heads of the monsters.
On each griffin sat one knight from the Vermillion Kingdom, and behind them sat one magician.
The knights protected the magicians, while the magicians drew joint magic circles in the air and…
"Second lightning-!"
Summoned a massive lightning bolt.
Junior, who had completed an enormous lightning bolt at the center of the spell formula, swung her staff down sharply, and lightning that fell from the cloudy sky struck the ground and raced across the surface.
Flash-!
Crackle crackle crackle!
The lightning, appearing almost like a huge pillar of light, struck and pulverized the monsters at the impact point, then spread throughout the area where the monsters stood.
The electrocuted monsters, charred black, could not withstand it and collapsed in droves.
The effect of the lightning magic was even more excellent because the monsters were densely packed. The lightning rampaged viciously like a snake seeking prey, conducted through the bodies of the clustered monsters.
Overflowing lightning was sucked into the black lake. Monsters electrocuted as lightning sparked on the lake's surface screamed.
The Sky Knight knights cheered in unison, and the magicians sitting behind them raised their fists to the sky.
Junior grinned broadly.
"How's that taste, you bastards?!"
However-
"…!"
The joy over a well-landed attack did not last long.
Bubble bubble bubble…
Because the monsters were truly infinite.
The interior of the black lake, where the lightning had penetrated, writhed as if it were a living thing, then began to spew forth malice from within like a volcanic eruption.
Pop-!
Whoosh!
The next moment, countless monsters that burst forth like a geyser all let out terrible screams at once.
"Kyaaaaaah-!"
The faces of the griffin riders instantly turned pale.
It was truly on a different dimension from the volume they had experienced in previous battles.
It wasn't just filling the horizon. As if to fill the land, sea, and sky completely, the black lake was spewing out monsters madly.
It was at that moment when everyone was momentarily shocked.
"Third lightning. Firing soon."
A calm voice rang out through the short-range communication device.
"Everyone please evacuate from the line of fire."
On a hill overlooking the black lake. At the top of a spire built there.
A fixed large-caliber sniper rifle seat similar to the special sniper equipment that had made a hole in the sky during the Black Dragon battle.
With [Black Queen] converted into a form similar to a rail gun, Damien exhaled a long breath.
"Phew…"
The long barrel of [Black Queen] combined with the fixed ballista was aimed straight at the lake.
The mana bullet launcher had become so huge, with all sorts of artifacts stuck on it, that it was hard to tell where the barrel ended.
Damien, sitting almost lying down in the shooter's seat of the launcher, stared at the lake full of monsters and slowly placed his finger on the trigger.
Crackle, crackle…
Black Queen's seven mana bullets finished the process of rotating in the air and combining into one.
This time, there was only one person enchanting this mana bullet, and the reason was simple.
This single enchantment was too powerful.
"I successfully enchanted the mana bullet with the Wind Spirit King's blessing!"
Hannibal, who had been sweating profusely, finally raised both hands and stepped back.
"The power… I don't know either! Let's hope the Spirit King is in a good mood!"
Damien smiled gently at Hannibal and focused his eye power on the lake.
A white flash flickered in his brown eyes, and
"Fire."
Confirming that there were no allies in the path, Damien pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Booooom-!
A tornado in the form of a mana bullet was fired.
The recoil of the shot made the spire sway greatly backwards. Everyone waiting on top of the spire screamed and rolled on the floor.
And, the power of the mana bullet was overwhelming.
Boom boom boom boom boom…!
Countless monsters that had overflowed and poured out through the lake's entrance were all torn to shreds.
It was like a huge storm crushing an erupting volcano.
With the already powerful shot of Black Queen, and the Wind Spirit King adding his power on top, no monster caught in its path survived.
"Wooooah…!"
The soldiers cheered as they watched the monsters being annihilated.
Clearly the enemies were infinite, but it seemed like they could hold out as long as the monster front's top forces took turns unleashing such powerful attacks.
And then-
Thump…!
Suddenly, the air changed.
The surface of the lake, which had been undulating like a stormy sea, abruptly became calm.
Without a single ripple, as if time had stopped.
"…"
An ominous silence filled the area as if it were a lie.
Both monsters and humans instinctively held their breath and raised their hackles.
Cold sweat ran down Lucas's back as he watched this scene.
The knight knew well.
This kind of situation is never a good omen.
"Everyone be on guard. Something doesn't seem right…"
And the next moment.
Splash.
A circular wave spread across the water's surface.
When this small ripple that spread from the center of the black lake reached the edge of the lake.
Whoosh…
The central part of the black lake sank downwards, forming a whirlpool.
This whirlpool deepened endlessly, as if connected to the bottom of hell.
And, at the very bottom of this empty black wave…
Step. Step. Step.
Footsteps echoed.
Though it was a very small sound, for some reason it was clearly heard by every being in the area.
As if distinctly announcing to this world the advent of a being of a different caliber.
Everyone who heard the sound could not move an inch.
And when those small footsteps had climbed all the steps of the swirling lake water-
Finally, that being's appearance was revealed to the human world.
"…!"
Though it was merely a small human figure.
All living beings who witnessed her trembled.
It was a woman with her face covered by a morning veil burnt at the ends.
The dress she wore also had its hem and sleeve ends burnt, and the tall crown on her head was also scorched black. Even her long white hair that seemed to drag on the ground had its ends burnt black.
Scattered starlight flickered around the woman.
The ends of her pale white dress, which seemed not of this world, were discolored black, glowing ominously with otherworldly darkness.
Materialized destruction.
The name of all those nightmares.
"She has appeared!"
A scout reported in a trembling voice.
"Entity name, 'Sleepless Lake Princess'-!"
Crack-!
As she descended, the sky split.
Through the gap in the sky that split in an impossible way, countless eyes blinked greedily, trying to observe her existence.
"…"
Lucas, who had been unconsciously facing the strongest and worst monster, suddenly came to his senses.
Because he definitely noticed that the gaze under the veil of the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' was directed at him.
"Evasive maneuver, now!"
Lucas shouted urgently.
"Blue Pearl, execute evasive maneuver-!"
"Huh?"
"I said evade right now, hurry!"
Instead of the airship's helmsman who couldn't come to his senses, the Rompeller siblings who rushed in gritting their teeth grabbed the wheel and turned it sharply.
Immediately Blue Pearl attempted an evasive maneuver at the highest possible speed, but-
It was too late.
"…"
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' slowly raised her hand, aimed at the enemy ship — Blue Pearl, and then…
Clenched her fist.
The next moment, otherworldly darkness pouring in from all directions engulfed Blue Pearl.
There was no way to avoid it.
Boom…!
Chapter 787
As the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' clenched her hand, otherworldly darkness engulfed from all directions.
The airship Blue Pearl had no means to avoid or block this attack.
However,
Flash-!
The acting commander of the monster front had a way to do so.
"Haaaah-!"
Lucas, who rushed out from the bridge to the deck, combined his two swords, [Bestowed Sword] and [Excalibur].
The two swords transformed and merged, reassembling into a giant greatsword — [Towards the Stars].
Originally, it was a transcendent weapon that no living human could wield, but Lucas, using [Full Divine Descent], was temporarily released from all those restrictions at this moment, forcibly stepping into divinity for an instant, and…
Slash-!
He was able to swing the greatsword without issue.
A dazzling flash erupted, tearing apart the darkness summoned directly by the master of nightmares.
"…"
After crossing the boundary between death and life for a fraction of a second.
Lucas shouted to everyone on the stunned Blue Pearl, no, to everyone on this battlefield.
"That monster cannot be defeated!"
"…!"
"All forces withdraw from the battlefield and regroup! The enemy commander has appeared, so we're moving to the next phase of the 'Lightning and Tsunami' operation!"
On the bridge of Blue Pearl, the two captains and crew quickly manipulated the instrument panel.
Blue Pearl, which quickly turned direction, urgently evacuated the airspace, followed by the Sky Knight Division. The snipers preparing to snipe from nearby spires also began to retreat quickly through teleport gates.
"…"
Instead of launching the next attack, the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' just silently watched the knight on the departing airship.
"…"
After separating [Towards the Stars] again and releasing [Full Divine Descent], Lucas also faced such an enemy commander… and raised his head to the sky.
'I will wait, my lord.'
It's impossible to fight and win against that monster.
But as ordered by his lord, it's possible to hold out while buying time.
While his lord fights another decisive battle on another battlefield, everyone here in the World Guardian Front must block the enemies by all possible means… and also survive.
'Please return with news of victory.'
The black lake began to spew out monsters endlessly again.
To the left and right of the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' walking slowly and gently northward, the poured-out horde of monsters was crawling up, bubbling and covering the earth.
With that sight as the last thing imprinted in his eyes, Lucas returned to the bridge from the deck.
The final war had just begun.
Thump…! Thump…! Thump…! Thump…! Thump…!
The ground shakes.
Far above, the world vibrates with the footsteps of monsters.
Destruction has already risen right up to the neck of the human world.
"…"
Praying that my warriors on the distant ground fight well.
That they endure well… I was walking in the dark shadows.
Lake Kingdom.
10th Zone.
Deepest core.
Royal Castle.
"…So you've finally come here."
I looked up at the heart of the nightmare.
A skyscraper spewing darkness… wrapped in pitch-black mist, soaring high into the sky.
To the final dungeon of blood and death where the final battle always took place in the game.
I silently stepped forward.
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
The sound of insects gnawing on something echoes.
It's the sound made by the otherworldly darkness surrounding the royal castle.
No, this is not the sound of insects.
If you listen carefully, you can hear.
— Die.
— Perish.
— Explode.
This is a curse.
— Dieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplodedieperishexplode…
That thick curse full of malice, so childish it's naive.
I no longer fear it.
Their wish for me to fall, their desire for this front to be defeated, their hope for this world to perish…
I'll shatter it all.
That's why I came here.
Thud…!
I stood before the entrance of the royal castle.
The cursed mist enveloping the surroundings had thickened so much that now not only the castle gates but the entire surroundings were invisible.
"…Hah."
I took a deep breath.
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' had already left this place.
This place no longer functions as a dungeon. It's not a target to be conquered. But I deliberately came here alone knowing that.
'I didn't come to kill the 'boss' of the 'dungeon'.'
My purpose for coming here is different.
I assembled the ceremonial longsword [Light and Shadow] into a flagpole and grasped it.
A bright light flag was generated and fluttered, and the cursed darkness invading around me retreated all at once.
However, the darkness covering the castle gates remains the same.
I silently put my hand in my bosom and took out the key that Crown had given me.
"…"
The large golden key shaped like a single flower was blackened with pollution, but still held its beauty.
After turning the key once in my hand,
Looking down at the key for a while,
"…Even if lightning and tsunami are the only way."
I suddenly uttered an old verse that came to mind.
"Open the door, flower, open the door, flower…"
I thrust the key in my hand forward vigorously.
Flash-!
The key that the rightful successor, the legitimate rights holder of this royal castle, had kept hidden in their bosom all their life was a right in itself.
No matter what curse, what obstacle blocks the way, it allows entry into the royal castle by opening the door…
Whoosh!
The cursed mist parts.
Magical light spread across the entire door where the key was inserted beyond the mist, and I turned the key vigorously.
Click!
Rumble…
The sturdy gates of the towering royal castle slowly opened inward as if being sucked in.
I stepped through that gap without hesitation.
Thud, thud, thud…
My footsteps echoed in the wide corridor of the royal castle.
The castle was quiet with all nightmares gone.
Without any soldiers, any subjects, any political rivals, any historians, any people.
Without laughter, crying, commands, sighs, or even breath.
As if even the concept of silence had disappeared, it was just nothingness.
At the end of this empty corridor where nothing exists, in the audience chamber…
"…"
The Demon King existed alone.
Sitting buried in the lonely throne as if exhausted, looking into the empty sphere of nightmares with tired eyes.
"…"
I quietly observed him.
Under the faded golden crown, made entirely of shadows… the root cause of all that has destroyed this world so.
As if only now noticing my presence, the Demon King slowly turned his head to look at me.
"…Player."
Our gazes met.
Though he, covered in shadows, had no organs that could be called eyes, at this moment we undoubtedly exchanged glances.
Though it's our first encounter.
For some reason, it felt familiar, as if we had known each other for a very long time.
I quietly uttered his name.
"…Demon King."
The Demon King wearily rubbed his face with his hand.
"I don't know how you got in here, but… yes. Have you come alone to kill me?"
"…"
"Eliminating me, the real culprit hidden behind the final enemy 'Sleepless Lake Princess'…certainly, if successful, the destruction game would stop, and this world could meet a different ending than before."
"…"
"It's quite a good change of perspective, but even so, are you going to face me alone?"
The Demon King slowly rose from his throne.
"You don't seem to know how countless heroes have met their fate at my hands."
"…"
"Dragons that have existed since the creation of heaven and earth, the masters of the most brilliant myths, kings and generals whose achievements reached the heavens, supermen on white horses… None of them could defeat me, none could even reach me with the tip of a sword or a fang. Rather, they all fell to corruption before my temptation and degenerated into mere monsters."
His hand made of shadows pointed at me.
"How are you different?"
"…"
"With what exactly do you intend to kill me? What weapon, what deadly poison, what strategy have you prepared?"
Without answering, I slowly walked towards the Demon King's throne.
Thud, thud, thud…
With each step closer to the Demon King.
The long adventure so far, the desperate journey my front has gone through, flashed through my mind.
The faces of people who fell to monsters, comrades who died bleeding, vividly came to life before my eyes.
My teeth clenched involuntarily, and my fists tightened.
— They are sinners for being born into this world. They must all be killed and eliminated.
— These monsters, couldn't we say it's a sin that they were born into the world?
— It's a sin that we were born into this world…
Blind hatred towards him still boils within me.
There is an impulse within me to deny his existence from its roots.
— Between some people, there is a gap that can never be filled. A gap so deep and profound that it can never be bridged…
— A deep hatred that cannot be overcome no matter how hard you try, and cannot be ignored no matter how much you turn away.
There is a distance between him and me that can never be narrowed. There is a valley that can never be filled.
We will never fully understand each other until the very end.
Because we are destined to fight and kill each other.
…
…
…
But.
— Come sit here, Vampire King. Let's have a drink and talk for a bit.
— I request a 'Commander's Meeting'!
— I'd like to stop fighting for a moment and have a talk. What do you think?
— As king to king, I propose to you — a summit!
Then why have I tried to dialogue with enemies so far?
If they were really just opponents to hate and be done with. If there wasn't even a one-in-a-nayuta chance that dialogue would work. Why have I always tried so hard to understand the other's intentions?
Why have I tried to look into the eyes of enemies and listen to their voices?
— I believed they could become people like us. Because they too had human emotions.
Because.
I also know.
— Although it was like a faint flame that disappeared before my eyes, I clearly saw the possibility. The moment when yesterday's enemy almost became today's compatriot…
The path that I, and our front, have walked so far.
It was a process of those who hated each other talking, understanding, and finally standing shoulder to shoulder together.
Countries that waged war, races that fought for a thousand years and lived as slaves for over a hundred years, people who hated each other for indelible past grievances…
Finally forgiving each other, embracing, loving, giving birth to the next generation's children, and everyone willingly giving their lives to protect those children.
I have clearly witnessed such miraculous scenes.
The hearts of wounded people who realize that there is no such thing as 'the sin of being born into the world' and finally forgive themselves.
The desperate hearts of children who lower their guns and swords aimed at each other across an unbridgeable valley… and try desperately to communicate by shouting.
I have watched.
This is precisely the path that I… and my city, my front, have proven over the past 3 years.
'I know.'
This is idealism.
This might be a stupid foolish act.
But…
Because this is the path my heart points to.
— Even if you're in tatters, it's okay. Even if you're shattered to pieces, it's okay. Whatever form you take, I like you.
Even if this attempt shatters me to pieces, it doesn't matter.
— If you don't lose your heart, even if you're split into a thousand or ten thousand pieces, you're still you.
Because I believe this path is right.
To be myself, I have no choice but to believe in my strategy and move forward.
— Ash. You have a heart stronger than anything in this world… the courage not to hate.
A voice, already distant, warm and affectionate, echoed in my heart.
— One who knows how to embrace others instead of hatred and anger. One who knows how to embrace a divided world and soothe others' wounds. Truly strong… goodwill.
Whether this is really an expression of such courage.
Or whether it's a reckless act that will pay a desperate price, I don't know.
— Love, Ash.
I'll live according to your last words.
I'll love.
"Hah…"
I stopped in the center of the audience chamber.
The Demon King's throne is close now. We're both at a distance where we can aim for each other's hearts and launch an attack at any time.
After taking a deep breath, I looked straight at my opponent.
And declared.
"I didn't come here to kill you."
"…?"
A puzzled light settled in the Demon King's tired gaze.
I gritted my teeth and refined my language.
This is not forgiveness.
This is not revenge.
This is, just.
A continuation of that winding road that I and my front have walked,
The only direction leading to the future that my flag has been pointing to,
And also the best struggle that I, a mere ordinary human, can wage.
"Demon King!"
Towards the opponent I hate the most.
Squeezing out all the courage I have-
With all my might, I shouted.
"I have come — to save you!"
Chapter 788
"…"
A long silence passed.
After a while, the stiffened Demon King asked back with a bitter expression.
"Save me? You?"
His voice was full of unprecedented bewilderment.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"…"
I took another deep breath.
"Don't misunderstand, Demon King. You must receive due punishment."
"…"
"My world has suffered irreparable damage from your vicious game. It has been wounded in a way that can never be healed. You must certainly pay the price for your evil deeds."
To him, who was showing an even more incomprehensible expression, I clearly uttered the next words, one by one.
"However— on the path I'm about to take, your salvation happens to overlap. The path to save my world and the salvation you seek lie on the same line."
"…"
"So I'm saying I'll save you, Demon King."
I slowly raised my hand and clenched it to show him.
"If you prove your usefulness and do your best to help me, that is."
"…Hah."
The Demon King, who let out a hollow laugh, jerked his chin.
"What nonsense… Do you even know what my salvation is?"
"…"
"Well, go ahead and explain. What exactly is this path you're going to take, that you say has my salvation at its end?"
I stared intently at the Demon King.
"I'm about to depart for the spirit realm. And there, I will save one person."
At the words that followed, cracks spread across the Demon King's composed face.
"The very person you've been searching for through eons of time."
"…What?"
He let out an angry cry.
"That's impossible, don't talk nonsense!"
"…"
"She wasn't in the human world, nor in the afterlife, nor in the spirit realm in between, nor anywhere! Do you think I didn't search? I scoured every heaven, sea, and land in this world. But she didn't exist!"
I quietly listened to the Demon King's frantic shouting.
"So, it's in the nightmare. She must be sealed in the cesspool of monsters collected by this cursed country!"
"…"
"Because the humans of this country defined her as a 'monster' and 'exterminated' her! Because the humans of this country kept all the monsters they killed in their nightmares!"
"…"
"That's why I deliberately plunged this country into hell! And I've been searching through the nightmares collected by the humans of this country for eons of time! To find her and save her…"
From the Demon King's body, a terrifying evil energy that I had never experienced before spread in all directions.
Covering the entire royal castle with his pitch-black aura, the Demon King roared.
"To find her, and this time, to corrupt her soul completely without a trace!"
"…"
"But, what? You say you know her whereabouts that even I don't know? Stop talking nonsense-"
"A thousand years ago. That person was certainly called a 'monster' and exterminated, but."
I explained with a bitter smile.
"Now she's called by a different name."
"What…"
"The name by which that person is called in this world now is…"
To the bewildered Demon King, I slowly uttered her identity.
"…'Goddess'."
I slowly recalled…
The very old tale I had heard directly from that person when I visited her recently.
A thousand years ago.
A small village by the lake.
Here, humans formed a small settlement and lived.
Humans couldn't even form a proper country and were torn apart, living divided into settlements and villages.
This was because they were in a position of being oppressed and enslaved by other powerful racial nations.
Other races could use magic, but humans could not.
Races chosen by foreign gods received mana from their respective racial guardian trees and rapidly developed their civilizations. But the human race was not chosen.
In the end, the human race was barely surviving at the very bottom, taking on the menial tasks of other races, as the smallest and weakest race.
The woman was born and raised in this small village by the lake.
Catching fish from the lake, gathering firewood from the nearby forest. Tending to livestock in small fields and a few pastures. It was such an unremarkable small village.
Although other racial nations would often demand excessive taxes and come to cause trouble.
The woman had no particular complaints about this reality.
Because she was already used to living like this. Because everything was a natural sight.
Because humans were born as slaves.
The woman married a simple and kind man who was born and raised in the village with her, and they had a cute son.
The woman thought she was happy and had no complaints about her life.
There was only one worry.
Her father who suffered from madness.
After her grandmother, who had also suffered from madness, passed away, her father inherited her grandmother's madness… and turned into a madman who always mumbled strange nonsense.
Now he was living alone in a small hut built in the corner of the lakeside, with no one visiting him.
Only the woman periodically visited her father to deliver meals and check if there was any inconvenience in his life.
Her father's symptoms worsened over time. The inside of the hut was filled with parchments covered in incomprehensible symbols and spell formulas, covering the walls and floors.
Although she was worried about her father's condition, the woman was basically bright and cheerful in nature. So she spent her days without much concern.
That day was the same.
The woman visited the hut where her father lived, bringing a meal. She opened the door energetically.
"Father, I'm here! Have you eaten? Today I cooked a new…"
The woman had to stop mid-sentence.
In the center of the hut.
Her father was quietly dying in a pool of blood, having slit his wrist.
"Father?!"
The startled woman ran over to try to stop her father's bleeding, but it was already too late.
Her father, even as he was dying, seemed to recognize his daughter and mumbled in a fading voice.
"I'm sorry, my daughter…"
"Father, no! No…!"
"I'm sorry for passing on such a terrible curse…"
Thud.
Her father's head tilted forward.
The woman stared blankly at her dead father. She didn't know what to do in this sudden, unexpected situation.
It was then.
"So this is as far as it goes."
A voice was heard from behind.
When the surprised woman turned around, there was… a huge figure made of shadows, bending over, looking into the tragic scene inside the hut.
"He had more grit than his mother, but still couldn't hold out for long."
The startled woman crawled backward and asked in a trembling voice.
"Wh-who… are you…?"
"Ah. Come to think of it, I should greet the new sacrifice first."
The shadow spread its arms and gave a polite bow.
"The devil who grants wishes, the owner of the monkey's paw, the fallen constellation… Well, I have many nicknames. But they all tend to call me this."
A white mouth cracked open like a fissure on the shadow's face, showing a long smile.
"The Demon King, they say."
"De-Demon King…?"
To the woman who was just trembling, unable to understand the situation, the Demon King babbled in a kind voice.
"Your distant ancestor begged me. He said he had something he absolutely wanted to accomplish, so he asked for 'endless time' to be able to do it."
"…"
"Anyway, why are there so many fools who end up wanting immortality, giving all sorts of reasons!"
The Demon King, who got slightly annoyed, pointed his index finger at the woman.
"So I counter-proposed to your ancestor, how about giving 'endless time' to his descendants for generations to come, and your ancestor gladly agreed. Thus, your clan gained endless time… the 'curse of regression'."
"Curse of… regression…?"
The woman mumbled dazedly in front of words she couldn't understand well.
The Demon King nodded.
"Now you have inherited the curse of regression. You, your son, his child, and so on… must continue to pay the price for the mistake your ancestor committed, forever."
The woman still couldn't understand the situation well.
"My ancestor, and my father, what did they try to do with that time they obtained…?"
"Hehe, that's another interesting part…"
The Demon King shrugged his shoulders playfully.
"It wouldn't be fun if I told you. Your father seems to have left records, so look for them well."
"…"
"Now then, I wonder what tragedy, and what corruption you will show me… I'm looking forward to it."
The Demon King's huge body slowly disappeared.
"I'll always be watching. To see what destruction you'll head towards…"
After all the shadows disappeared.
The woman could only alternately look at where the Demon King had been and at her father's dead body with a dazed expression.
After her father's funeral.
The woman visited her father's hut again.
As before, her father's hut was full of parchments covered in incomprehensible diagrams and characters.
The woman carefully organized the parchments and stacked the books.
In the process, she found a bundle of memos written in readable characters.
"Did father write this…?"
Whether it was written before her father's madness worsened, the memo written in relatively moderate handwriting began like this:
[For the human race to escape slavery]
"…"
The woman traced the following sentences with her hand.
Although she had learned to read from her father when she was young, she hadn't used writing since then and was practically illiterate. Reading each sentence was a struggle in itself.
"For the human race to escape slavery… we need the light of magic too…"
Just as she was about to read the next sentence.
Waaah-
The cry of a young boy was heard from afar. It was the woman's son.
Startled, the woman covered the memo and ran back to her house to take care of her son.
To her, her young son and her life of working and eating day by day were more important than these difficult-to-understand memos.
…
Time passed.
The woman tried to retrace her father's research several times, but failed each time. She had little knowledge and no sense of mission regarding the research carried on by previous generations.
The number of visits to her father's hut gradually decreased. Once a week, once a month, once every six months…
Life was harsh, the child grew up quickly, and time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Before she knew it, the woman forgot about her father's hut. She forgot about the curse of regression. She forgot about the existence of the Demon King.
She sealed and forgot that day's events in the hazy memories of her young days.
…
Decades later.
Lying in a warm bed, the woman smiled peacefully among her grandchildren and great-grandchildren surrounding her.
"You all came because it's time for grandma to go…"
It wasn't a bad life.
It was ordinary but peaceful. There were people she loved, and she worked hard to build her life.
She had several more children, and those children had children…
The clan prospered.
And as if to prove that she had lived diligently, her descendants flocked like clouds to attend her deathbed.
With a sense of satisfaction, the woman examined one by one the people who had come to see her off in death.
And, among them…
Grin.
Showing a white mouth opened in a smile.
She belatedly discovered a shadow-like figure.
"…!"
The woman's face instantly turned pale.
She pointed at that shadow with a trembling hand.
"Y-you… you…!"
Everyone at the bedside looked in that direction in surprise, but they couldn't see anything.
The huge, evil being spreading its shadow with its arms wide open, smiling wickedly… was completely invisible to them.
"What are you saying, mother? There's nothing there…"
While her son was speaking with a smile, the woman couldn't breathe.
Because the Demon King, who had suddenly approached, pressed his face close to hers and whispered like a snake.
"Did you enjoy your ordinary life?"
"…!"
"Well then, it's time to go back."
As she opened her eyes wide, the woman took her last breath and…
Click. Click. Click.
Gray mana rotated, and there was a sound like some mechanical device engaging backwards.
"-Gasp!"
The woman who opened her eyes wide exhaled roughly.
"Gasp, gasp, gasp?!"
She looked around, barely catching her breath while breaking out in a cold sweat.
She was definitely lying on a bed surrounded by her family just a moment ago.
But now this place was… that hut where her father had slit his wrist and committed suicide.
"H-how…?"
Unable to believe it, the woman muttered weakly.
Checking her young hands without a single wrinkle.
Then looking at her father's corpse dead in a pool of blood.
"So this is how your clan's curse manifests… Indeed, you return to 'this time' when you die."
A familiar voice was heard.
Startled, she turned around to see the huge shadow — the Demon King — laughing quietly.
"I told you, didn't I? This is a curse."
"…"
"You don't even have the right to die as you wish."
Looking into the trembling woman's eyes, the Demon King laughed maniacally, full of joy.
"Now then, during this 'endless time', let's see what you can do… what tragedy of despair and frustration you'll write your endless life with!"
Chapter 789
In her second life, the woman lived like a broken person.
She couldn't bear the gap between her first life and the present. She was shattered.
But her husband and son took care of her devotedly.
Through her husband and son's dedication and effort, the woman gradually recovered, and in her later years, she was able to regain a peaceful life once again.
She breathed her last once more among her loved ones.
"Thank you, dear. Thank you, son. Because of you two, I truly had a blessed life…"
Click. Click. Click.
And another regression took place.
"…"
Again, it's that day.
One summer. The hut where her father slit his wrist and committed suicide.
The woman looked inside the hut with trembling eyes. She stared without avoiding the mountain of records and memos her father had left behind.
She realized.
That the task passed down from her ancestors, from her father… was as unavoidable as this curse.
Anyway, time is endless. Life is infinite.
She left her father's corpse and slowly walked into the hut.
And faced the ancestral task that came down with the curse.
The woman wasn't brilliant, and the research was unfriendly.
She had to use her entire third life just to organize and understand the research left by her father and ancestors.
But there was definitely progress. At least, she was now able to understand the research so far.
"The foreign gods forcibly widened the boundary between life and death, this world and the afterlife, and began to interfere with this world through that gap…"
The gap created in this way is the midpoint between life and death. The other side of the shore.
'The spirit realm'.
The foreign gods planted trees of the races they chose in this artificial space and let them take root.
"This tree has its roots in the spirit realm and its trunk in this world, and it makes it transmit the external power received from the spirit realm to this world…"
This is the principle of magic.
And the reason why only certain races can use magic.
At this point, the woman had a question.
"Then why did the foreign gods give only certain races the racial tree… the guardian tree?"
The answer came from behind.
"Because they're in the middle of a destruction game called 'Race War'."
"…?!"
When the startled woman turned around, the Demon King was standing there. As always, he wore a sardonic smile.
"Congratulations on getting this far. You've caught up well with that dull head of yours."
The Demon King mocked, but instead of responding, the woman asked about her curiosity.
"Race War? Destruction game? What's that?"
"This world was chosen as a playground for the foreign gods."
The Demon King explained willingly.
"So they created the space called the spirit realm and began to interfere with this world based on that space. They started playing with this world in various ways, and one form of entertainment is the 'Race War'."
"…"
"The foreign gods give power, blessings, and the grace of magic to the races they like… and then they watch as these chosen races fight, kill, and destroy each other."
The woman asked bitterly.
"Is that… fun?"
"It is fun. Think about it. Let's say there's a hill full of ants. Several ant armies are in conflict, and you pick one ant army."
"…"
"You can vividly watch that ant army you support and lend strength to seize control of the hill after a desperate battle. There are few entertainments as fun as this."
Before the entertainment of transcendent beings, the beings of this world were literally no different from a single ant.
The woman, who was shaking her shoulders without realizing it, asked.
"Is repeating my life also one of those entertainments?"
"Seems your brain is starting to work. That's correct."
The Demon King nodded.
"While there's certainly fun in watching tragedies on racial, national, and world scales, the true taste of tragedy comes from watching an individual's destruction up close."
"…"
"You are also one of the subjects of such tragedy. Your ancestor sold your fate for generations to come."
The woman carefully examined the shadow-like form of the giggling Demon King and cautiously asked.
"What… exactly are you?"
"I am a 'mediator'."
Unexpectedly, the Demon King answered freely.
"Once I was an 'observer' like those foreign gods, but I loved this stage full of tragedy so much that I jumped onto the stage myself — a fallen constellation."
"…"
"Such a worthless evil that mediates all this tragedy to outside the stage."
Though she couldn't understand everything he said, the woman vaguely felt.
"So, please show me an interesting tragedy. Your own unique and desperate tragedy."
That the being before her, though powerful, evil, and transcendent.
Was somehow pitiful.
Those who can only find joy in such tragedies…
Somehow, she felt sympathy and pity for them.
After her fourth life passed, and in her fifth life, the woman was able to master all of her ancestors' research.
And she was able to theoretically establish the research results that her father had finally derived.
"If we steal branches from the trees of the 4 major races, the guardian trees, and graft them together…"
From her father's handwriting tainted with madness, to the woman's clear and neat handwriting.
She read aloud the conclusion drawn from the completely organized magic theory.
"We can create a guardian tree that doesn't lean towards any side. And then we just need to register humans as the owners of this guardian tree…"
This was what the ancestor who first received the 'curse of regression' had tried to do.
For the human race, too small and insignificant to be chosen by the foreign gods, the only way to escape their current state of slavery was to steal the flame of magic.
"Do you think that's possible?"
A taunt was heard from behind.
The Demon King, who had appeared at some point, was looking over her shoulder at her research.
"The guardian trees of each race are protected under strict guard. Not only are they national treasures bearing the fate of their races, but they are also the core pieces of the Race War watched by all the foreign gods visiting this playground."
"…"
"How do you, a mere ordinary human, intend to steal a branch from such a tree?"
The woman rose from her desk with a bitter smile.
"I can do it. Because I have endless time."
"You will surely be broken and crushed. Well, that too will be a joy to watch…"
"And, above all."
Cutting off the Demon King's words, the woman declared.
"Because now I want to do this."
She originally had no complaints about her life.
She was content living quietly with her loved ones in a small village.
But as she inherited the research passed down from her ancestors and learned more about the true nature of this world…
She began to open her eyes to the truth.
The fact that this village life, which seemed peaceful and happy, was actually a life managed as slaves by other races.
They just didn't think it was strange because they had been subjected to exploitation, abuse, and treatment like livestock from birth.
Once she awakened, everything looked different.
The crops taken away every autumn, the young people conscripted and dragged away for wars of other countries, the tyranny of rulers who came every season to beat and destroy…
She decided she would no longer watch with open eyes.
"I don't understand the difficult things well… but this is certain."
As she packed her bags, she spoke as if making a vow.
"I don't want to pass on a slave's life to my child."
"…!"
"I have to go. If I keep knocking, won't a path open up?"
Not because of the task inherited from her ancestors, but entirely of her own will.
The back of the woman moving without hesitation.
"…"
The expression of the Demon King watching her changed slightly.
The woman packed her bags and left the house.
It was then.
"Mom?"
Her son, who had woken up, followed the woman out, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Where are you going?"
"…"
The woman, who had been looking at her young son with complex eyes, eventually crouched down in front of him and stroked his head.
"I'm sorry, son."
"Huh…?"
"But someday you'll understand mom."
Pushing all the words she wanted to say deep inside.
The woman forced a smile.
"I'm sure you will."
And the woman set out on her journey.
It was a long way to steal the flame of magic.
The woman failed countless times.
She was shot with arrows while approaching the tree. She was caught in a trap while touching the branch. She was stabbed with spears, tortured, beheaded, thrown as dog food.
Click. Click. Click.
Hundreds of lives were repeated.
The woman changed her approach. She decided to try gaining the favor of the respective races to approach the guardian trees.
It wasn't easy for a human, treated as a slave race, but she didn't give up.
Click. Click. Click.
Hundreds more lives were repeated.
Now she had succeeded in getting her hands on a branch of each race's guardian tree once.
However, there was a limit to what could be accomplished in one lifetime.
She optimized the route to bring back one branch from each race's guardian tree from the point of regression to the end of her life.
Moreover, she had to establish methods to avoid being tracked or to shake off pursuit teams after bringing them back.
The journey was arduous, long, and endlessly delayed.
Click. Click. Click.
Again, hundreds of lives.
No, thousands? Or tens of thousands?
Forgetting even to record the journal she always used to write, the woman was now moving according to the experience engraved in her body.
A strange desire burning inside her, which she herself couldn't understand, allowed her to keep fighting without stopping.
"…"
Even the Demon King, who had always mocked her from behind.
As she advanced little by little with indomitable will, he gradually withdrew the light of ridicule from his face. And began to watch the woman's journey seriously.
Thus, with the body of an ordinary human.
After countless attempts…
She finally succeeded in obtaining branches from all four guardian trees.
Although she was in a state where her hair had turned completely white and she could barely straighten her back due to old age.
Not only her physical body, but even her soul was in a state so aged that it was cracking.
But she finally did it.
"…"
The woman looked at the four branches gathered in her hand with eyes full of emotion.
Evergreen, Everblue, Everred, Evergold…
The elf's evergreen tree, the mermaid's coral reef, the beastkin's maple, the dwarf's golden branch.
Returning to the lakeside hut, now abandoned, she began to create a new tree by grafting these four branches together.
The theory was perfectly established. It was something she had verified countless times in her mind while repeating her life endlessly.
And,
Flash…!
She succeeded.
The four grafted branches transformed into a single tree trunk, and the woman blankly stared at the transparent-colored sapling in her hand.
"Congratulations."
The Demon King, who had appeared at some point, unusually spoke in a moderate voice.
"To think you'd really reach this far… I admit it. You've achieved a great feat."
"…"
"Now, finish what you've been dreaming of."
The woman slowly breathed her power into this tree that didn't bear the light of any race.
And she wished.
"…The light of magic for my race too…"
Then, the transparent branch that had no particular characteristics began to change.
Black color rose from within, and sharp thorns sprouted. The thorns pricked the woman's hand and drank her blood.
"Ah…!"
Looking at the completed human guardian tree, the woman let out a sigh.
This was the first birth of the Black Thorn Tree, Everblack.
Hugging the thorny tree to her chest, the woman shed tears.
"I did it, I really did it, father…"
She had completed the task passed down from her ancestors.
Now humanity would gain the light of magic. They no longer need to live as slaves.
Standing at the end of her journey, the woman smiled happily.
However.
As always, the world didn't flow as expected.
"Witch!"
"We're all dead because of you!"
"Execute that woman! We must show our innocence!"
In the center of the village where she was born and raised.
Tied to the execution platform, the woman looked around in bewilderment.
At the pile of firewood under her feet, at the villagers throwing stones at her.
And…
"…"
At her aged son, looking at her with a devastated face among the angry crowd.
The woman trembled as she faced this.
Why.
Why did it turn out like this…?
"Didn't I tell you countless times."
The Demon King standing behind the woman muttered softly.
"That your life can only be a tragedy…"
Chapter 790
The small branch of humanity's guardian tree, Everblack, took root in the spirit realm as soon as it was planted on earth.
Immediately, humanity began to resonate with mana and learned to use magic.
People quickly noticed the change.
But they weren't happy about this fact.
'If it's discovered that we've gained magical powers, we'll be hunted by other races.'
The human race was born as a slave race.
Rather than rejoicing in the suddenly given power, they feared more the repercussions if it was discovered they had this power.
The other races that had enslaved humans wouldn't leave them be. It was obvious they would try to kill off the human race before they could develop their ominous power.
People fell into panic and began to search for the culprit who caused this situation.
And those who could now sense mana naturally found the source of mana — humanity's guardian tree, and also uncovered the identity of the person who planted it.
A madwoman living in the lakeside village, who had been a wanderer all her life…
The woman was captured, and after a meeting, people reached an easy conclusion.
They decided to execute her as a representative and beg for leniency.
They were satisfied with their current lives and didn't need the light of magic.
Everything was this woman's sole arbitrary act. They would kill this woman with their own hands, so please forgive them…
And so, now.
"…"
The woman, tied to the execution platform piled with firewood, was watching the people throwing stones at her.
The people of her hometown, whom she tried to save, but who were now trying to kill her instead.
"Look, pitiful woman."
The Demon King murmured.
"Look at those who repay your grace with stoning and arson!"
"…"
"This is the price for stealing the divine flame with a mere mortal body. You've obtained an unbearable result, so your destruction is only natural."
Waaaaaah…!
The angry crowd throwing stones pressed her son.
Her son, with tears in his eyes but a cold face… threw a stone at the woman.
Thud!
The flying stone hit the woman's forehead. Blood flowed from the torn wound.
"…"
Flames approached, flickering under the woman's bowed head. Someone had set the fire.
Along with the terrible heat, voices condemning her poured from all directions.
Thief. Witch. Monster.
Monster.
Monster…
"Don't you resent them?"
The Demon King whispered.
"Those who don't understand the sacrifice you made for them and treat you like a monster. Don't you resent them?"
"…"
"This is the true nature of those you tried to save. This is the ugly bare face of those you tried to protect."
To the silent woman, the Demon King spoke even more fiercely.
"Look at the faces of those who hate you, ungrateful for your grace! Look at the face of your son throwing stones at you!"
"…"
"Now, resent them."
The Demon King's whisper inevitably dug into the woman's heart like spreading flames.
"Be honest with your heart, resent them. Resent those who defile the achievement of your lifetime and trample on your noble intentions. Light the thousand fires of resentment in your heart!"
"…Then."
The woman quietly asked back.
"Then, what will happen?"
"You can do anything and become anything according to your heart."
The Demon King tempted with a voice even more passionate than before.
"I'll let you obtain whatever you wish for, as much as the achievement you've accomplished. You could become a fire demon that burns the world, a snake that swallows the lake, or a baptism of stone hail that beats all life to death."
"…"
"Your achievement is that great. It's not small enough to vanish in vain while being treated like this in a place like this! You should become much greater!"
Crackle!
Whether due to the heat of the flames, or perhaps due to the intervention of some evil power.
The rope that tied the woman to the execution platform came undone on its own. Suddenly freed, the woman staggered off the execution platform.
"Now."
The Demon King's outstretched hand was in front of her.
"Take my hand."
"…"
"Only I know your journey. Only I know your sacrifice. Only I! Know your noble will and grand achievement."
"…"
"I will acknowledge you, mortal. So, come with me!"
The Demon King was floating on the cold and quiet lake.
The woman turned her head to look at the opposite side. She saw the spreading flames, the shower of stones, and the hatred in the eyes of the people glaring at her.
"…"
It was clear what she should choose.
Slowly, the woman pressed her back against the execution platform again. Though the ropes had fallen and the restraints were gone, she hung there of her own will.
"No."
The woman murmured to the bewildered Demon King.
"I will die as a monster."
"What…"
"I understand their hearts. I thought I was sprinkling the light of salvation on my race, but from people's perspective, it's natural that it feels like sparks suddenly flying onto their clothes."
Flames climbed up the woman's body.
"But it's okay. Everyone will understand someday."
"…"
"Even if it's hot now, when they learn to handle that spark… a new era of life will dawn."
Watching the woman turning to ashes in the smoke burning her flesh, the Demon King roared.
"So, you'll die like this?!"
"…"
"Without being understood by anyone, burned at the stake as a witch, stoned as a monster… you're saying you'll die so miserably?!"
"It's okay."
The woman slowly closed her eyes.
"Because it wasn't something I did to be acknowledged by someone."
There was something she decided to accomplish on her own, and she just did it.
She never cared about glory or infamy from the beginning.
That's why the woman could accept death proudly without shame, even with a slightly happy feeling.
Eventually, the woman's body completely crumbled between the rising flames and the shower of stones.
"…"
The Demon King could only quietly watch her final moments.
Click.
…Again.
Click. Click. Click.
Mercilessly.
Click, click, click, click, click-
Gray mana rotated, making an inorganic mechanical sound.
The woman opened her eyes.
Again, that young summer day. The lakeside hut.
"…Ah?"
The woman looked around with a pale face.
She had regressed. She came back here, to this time, again.
Life doesn't end.
Life… doesn't end.
"Ah, aaaaah."
A meaningless voice flowed weakly between her lips.
"Aaah, aaah, aaah…?"
"Did you think it was over?"
The Demon King, looming like a shadow, was looking down at her with a sneer.
"Did you think this hell would end now that you've achieved your desired goal and even forgiven those ungrateful ones?"
"…"
"No, foolish one. This is not such a peaceful curse."
The Demon King's cold mockery echoed in the woman's ears.
"No matter what you accomplish, no matter how much you fail, it doesn't matter. Your regression will just repeat endlessly. Forever, forever, forever…!"
Only then did the woman truly understand.
Why this is a curse, not a blessing.
That endless time is such a cruel and inorganic violence.
"If you had followed my earlier proposal, you could have escaped the cycle of regression, but since you refused… I'll tell you another way to end this regression. Moreover, this method is very easy."
The Demon King whispered to the woman who was shaking in shock.
"Agree to pass on the sequence of all this tragedy to your child. Then, I'll allow you to end your life on your own."
"…!"
"Your clan's curse is single-person inheritance. Blood succession. It 'pools' in only one person per timeline. In other words, if you transfer it to your child, you can escape."
Only then could the woman understand.
The way her father escaped this curse.
"Did my father… end himself like that too…?"
"That's right. Not just your father, but all your ancestors. They eventually succumbed to infinite time. And agreed to 'push' this curse onto later generations. That's how it continued endlessly."
"…"
"They put forward noble causes, but in the end, unable to overcome their own pain, they transferred the curse to later generations! That is your ancestor, your father, and also human. And you will become the same."
That whatever her life accomplishes is meaningless.
And that her predecessors betrayed and fled from later generations for their own peace.
To the woman trembling as she realized this, the Demon King spoke with feigned kindness.
"Now, here are two choices. Either pass on this curse that will continue forever to future generations. Or become a real monster that covers the world with resentment."
"…"
"The first choice is following in the footsteps of your ancestors, and the second choice is a new ending that has never been before. Whichever you choose, I'll respect you and let you act as you wish."
To escape this infinite and worthless curse of regression, two paths were laid before the woman.
Either kill her child. Or kill others and the world.
"Now, choose!"
The Demon King laughed maniacally with his arms spread wide.
"Will you pour all the curse accumulated by you and your predecessors onto your beloved child, onto all your future generations?"
The woman tightly closed her eyes.
"If you don't like that, will you become the resentment that destroys the world in exchange for your achievement, as per my earlier proposal?"
"…"
"Which is it, come on! Choose!"
A long silence passed.
Slowly, the woman rose to her knees.
And passing by the Demon King waiting for her choice… she walked out of the hut.
The Demon King's face became puzzled.
"…What are you doing?"
"Can't you see?"
Staggering, but not stopping.
The woman was starting her journey again towards the world… outside the village.
"I'm going to light the fire again."
"…?!"
"Once again, I'll create a tree for humanity… once again, I'll retrieve the light."
True bewilderment flashed across the Demon King's face.
"Then what about the choice?"
"I won't make it."
"What?"
"I won't curse my child, nor my world."
Just.
On the repeating world.
Just planting one tree.
The astonished Demon King shouted.
"Don't you understand yet? No matter what achievement you accomplish, no matter what journey you go through, everything is meaningless like that!"
"…"
"You will come back here again. Unless you transfer the curse to later generations, or become a monster yourself! The regression is infinite!"
"No."
The woman turned to look at the Demon King with a bitter smile.
"There's a third way, you know."
"What…?"
"I'll embrace this curse and die with it."
The woman placed her hand on her chest.
"When my soul shatters. Then the curse will end with my generation. Right?"
"You're saying you'll repeat the regression until your soul can't withstand it…?"
The shocked Demon King shook his head.
"Even I don't know how many more lives you'll have to repeat to do that! Truly eons of years lie ahead of you!"
"…"
"Do you really think you can endure it? Hasn't your heart already been broken once! It's meaningless, meaningless, meaningless! Even though you know it well yourself…!"
Ignoring whatever the Demon King was shouting.
The woman silently walked forward.
"Don't do this."
Instead, urgency tinged the Demon King's voice.
"If you give up now, your soul can still go to the afterlife. But if your soul shatters, you will vanish from this universe forever! No reincarnation, no afterlife, nothing!"
"…"
"Can't you hear me? Have you gone deaf now too?"
The Demon King screamed at the woman's receding back.
"There is no salvation ahead of you-!"