(What is this...?)
When Akira reached the bathroom, he was a little surprised. He couldn’t see the gender labels on the doors. He could tell that some sort of silhouette occupied the signage of the wall, but couldn’t see if the silhouette was wearing a skirt or not.
(Crap. I think I’m gonna barf...)
Stopped in his tracks, Akira tried to regain some vision.
After some time, when he opened his eyes again, he could see a little more clearly. He immediately ran into the men’s room, and forcefully threw up the contents of his stomach. He had been drinking with XX the night before, so vomit alone wasn’t too unexpected.
“Yeesh. I guess I’m getting old...” He mumbled to himself, now looking in the mirror.
At the time, Akira could decently hold his liquor for being in his twenties. It wasn’t often that he would feel it rush back up his throat the next day. After washing his face and rinsing his mouth, he turned back to his reflection.
“Yep. Ten out of ten. He’s a genius, too.”
He could say all he wanted as he stood alone in the bathroom. In fact, he felt that he had to convince himself, considering the person he was about to meet: Mickity, one of the inaugural players who had been playing Akira Ono’s game. Mickity’s profession in real life, as he later found out, was an executive director for 42-OMG, a video game company famous overseas. Someone who lived in a different world than Akira.
“Large-scale MMO, my ass. Maybe I’ll think about it for a hundred mil,” he said, but didn’t mean it deep down.
In fact, he kept thinking about what was behind this deal.
(What are they thinking...?)
Truth be told, it was abnormal for such a famous international corporation to show interest in a tiny indie game, and even more unusual that they would try to scam an individual by the same token. If they were really interested, why didn’t they just make it themselves? They had limitless manpower and finances. Who would pay mind to a minuscule indie game in some tiny Far Eastern island nation?
“Just so you know, I’m penniless.”
Sad but true. The only thing anyone would gain from scamming this man, who spent all of his money creating his own world, was an earful of insults.
“Let’s go, I guess...”
Slapping his cheeks, Akira returned out into the hallway. Now it appeared straight. He walked down the long hallway with proud strides and knocked on the door he had been looking for. An elderly gentleman with a monocle and a foreigner in a butler’s uniform appeared.
“Uh, um. Akira Ono. Do you speak Japanese...?”
“Welcome, Mister Ono. Thank you for coming all this way,” the gentleman responded in fluent Japanese. He was an elder with an impermeable aura about him. Akira had a gut feeling that he was in over his head. He was sure that the gentleman was more experienced and knowledgeable than him, many times over.
“...Um, is Mickity here?”
“I am he.”
“... What?”
——A few hours later
After a not-so-short meeting, Akira Ono had returned to XX’s place. To save on hotels, he had been crashing here throughout his stay. Although his attitude was not that of someone receiving free lodging.
“How’d it go, Akira?”
“Well, they want to make it really big.”
“That’s awesome! You can buy me drinks when you get some money!”
“Get a job.”
“Not a chance! You know how hard it is for me just to breathe? Don’t you know the pain? I’m moving my lungs and my heart. That’s heavy labor.”
“That’s something literally every baby can do.”
Akira’s harsh comments were already becoming of his future Demon-Lord-ization. As Akira bagged up the trash flooding the floor and tossed the sack into the kitchen, he let out a sigh. The room that he had cleaned was already a mess, again.
“How can you produce this much crap in a day?”
“Whaaaaa? Don’t you get a little bit of byproduct when you’re looking for something you need?”
“Your life is a byproduct.”
“Damn! You’re really a piece of work, Akira! You asbestos! Polyethylene!”
“You know that’s just plastic, right?”
As he popped a beer can open, Akira glanced over to see XX playing a bizarre video game. There was a black spiral in the middle of the screen that sucked everything in. People, horses, cars, buildings, everything was being swallowed up by the black swirl. It was a creepy sight to see.
“Did you make this one, too?”
“Hmm. It’s like a... prophecy, I guess?”
“Huh?”
Akira scoffed, tilting back his can of beer. He adamantly rejected the likes of prophecies, dream horoscopes, guardian angels, palm reading, etc. He believed that his life was his to pioneer, and didn’t need to believe in any of that.
“That’s dumb... You make decisions to create your own future.”
If some wrinkles in one’s hand determined that person’s life, there would be no point in talent, hard work, or even luck. That seemed ridiculous to him. Surely, there must have been a few people out there like Akira, who had never experienced failure. They were confident that anything could be conquered with their own hard work and talent.
“You aren’t a part of the herd, Akira, but I don’t think you could take on the big spiral.”
“What big spiral?”
“It’s right around the corner... The black hole.”
“What are you going on about?”
The usual dabbling in the occult, Akira thought. XX loved the thoughts of spirits and supernatural events, claiming that there was the ghost of a suicide victim haunting this very room.
“Where is that suicidal ghost, anyway? Never seen it.”
“I think he’s out. He’s scared of you, I think.”
“What’d I ever do to him...?”
“He’s a middle-aged gay guy, but you’re not his type, I don’t think.”
“A middle-aged gay guy!?”
Despite Akira’s overblown reaction, XX only laughed. Even as they talked, the screen displayed rapid movement as trees, children, cars, and even test tubes were swallowed up by the black swirl. The swirl grew bigger by the second.
“What does this swirl want?”
“I don’t really know.”
“And no ending for this one, either.”
“Nah. It’s been sucking up a lot, so I think it’ll blow up in the end.”
“...So you’re just going to blow it up to wrap it up.”
The pair burst out laughing, and toasted with their cans of beer.
In the future, XX’s prophecy came to life with eerie poignancy. The year was 2004, when a monster was born, ready to swallow up the entirety of Japan’s internet culture. Personal websites were deleted, blogs were abandoned, and the concept of individuality became buried as everything gathered at a singularity. Perhaps that was the blackhole XX was talking about.
“Ugh. I wish a warhead would drop on Harajuku, or something.”
“Get a job so you can buy a warhead.”
“Or that Tokyo Tower would come falling down.”
“Get a job so you can buy a saw.”
“You wanna cut it down? Make it come crashing down?”
“One...one...zero...”
“Hey, Akira! Are you dialing for real!?”
The screen flashed to black and the spiral swallowed up all of the desktop icons, too. Once there was nothing more to swallow, or when it was bored, a forced reset. Everything would line up at the same line. That grown adult over there, and the cute girl over there... They all had the same first-day-of-school look.
Congratulations, and welcome. The world will soon explode. Happy graduation. Everyone will equally drop dead.
White’s Return
——The Holy Castle in Holylight.
A little earlier than when the Demon Lord began crashing the dungeon and Yu began her garden project, the
Holy Castle erupted in a commotion surrounding the leader of the Holy Maiden, Angel White. Upon her head was the Angel’s Ring, emanating a majestic glow. She had no way of keeping this quiet. For the people of Holylight, that’s how much an angel meant to them. When White appeared before the Holycastle’s front gate, the guard’s jaw dropped to the ground before he dove down onto his knees. He couldn’t even keep his eyes up before the divine glow of the Ring. The commotion spread fast, as people came pouring out of the castle and crowded around White. Each of them exclaimed something or another, and some fell to their knees and put their hands together to worship White. With the glow of the halo illuminating White’s features, she looked like an angel who had come down to earth.
“Lady White!”
“She’s an angel! Lady White became an angel!”
“Look at that divine glow!”
“My eyes! My eyes!”
“Lady White! It’s me! Marry me!”
“W-Whua- Whua...! Whua!”
With a gentle smile, White walked through the roaring cheers into the Holy Castle, waving to the people. Everyone, man or woman, lost themselves before her divine beauty.
Her external allure was undoubtedly enhanced by her exuding confidence. The halo atop her head was directly given to her by an elevated existence. With that in mind, White was as confident as could be. Moreover, she had received reassurance, too.
(He said that it suits me well...)
White closed her eyes and recalled the event. In her eyes, the Demon Lord was a legendary rebel, fighting against the Great Light with black wings on his back. The good girls always seemed to be the ones who fall for a taste of evil, convincing themselves that ‘only I can understand him. Only I can protect him.’
(Lord Lucifer...)
Recalling his body enveloped in the white steam, her cheeks turned red. His devious brain, his dauntless attitude, his very presence, all ready to trample everything in his path, marching to the ends of Hell. He was the mythical fallen angel... the one who ruled the night in times of old! He had accepted White, and bestowed upon her the halo of an angel. One could only imagine the glee, joy, and elation she felt.
“Lady White...! What is on your...!?”
As White walked through the hallways of the Holy Castle, the commotion only grew louder. As people saw her, they ran to their coworkers to spread the news. The entire castle erupted in chaos until a certain someone emerged. Upon seeing her, everyone straightened their backs and tightened their lips. It was Gran, the living history of the Holy Church. While she was allegedly older than ninety, her presence was as strong as ever. As an advisor, her words carried extraordinary weight.
“White, what’s with all the noise!? Have they no respect for the Holy Castle... Aghhh!”
Upon seeing the Angel’s Ring glow above White’s head, even Gran faltered at its sacred glow, falling to the ground. White rushed to help her up, but Gran’s words failed her.
“W-White...! T-That thing... Your head...!”
“It was given to me by someone...”
With a smile, Angel clasped her hands in front of her large twin peaks. An unmistakable angel.
“W-Who might that be...!?”
White didn’t answer, but only smiled quietly. She had been repeatedly sworn to secrecy. Gran picked up something from her response, too. White must have been holding back from taking in vain the name of an existence who had bestowed a halo, of all things, upon her. The angels had vanished from this world long ago. They couldn’t take any chance, no matter how slim, of offending such an existence. This was the one glimmer of hope they had been waiting for.
“I-I see... I won’t ask much. But tell me this. Is this deity in our country? They wouldn’t forsake us by turning to another country, would they?”
Gran had a desperate look on her face. They couldn’t let anyone else catch this glimpse of salvation. White answered deliberately.
“I won’t let that happen.”
“A-All right...”
“Yes. I will serve him by his side, and...”
White couldn’t help but blush at her own choice of words. She couldn’t help but recall how close they were in the hot spring. Gran saw this, and her eyes widened. She picked up on a particular scent.
“Ah! Ah, unbelievable... Don’t tell me that... a c-c-child!? With a Holy Maiden...? W-What is happening...!?”
“N-No... I’m not...!”
“I know, I know. Our situation is much too dire...!”
Gran immediately decided to put a gag law on most of these details. The fact that a Holy Maiden was given an Angel’s Ring was good. Very good. This information could serve as an intimidation against enemies and a brimming hope for their own people. White was popular among the people to begin with, but if they were to cause a ruckus about who exactly bestowed the halo upon her, he might disappear. Legends told of higher beings with various personalities. Angels and humans were the same, in that sense. Some were quiet, some were boisterous, and some even spent their days in solitude, away from worldly trifles.
“I’ll leave the matter to you, White. Don’t let him go.”
“Yes, I will always... k-keep him close.”
“Hah ha ha! Well said.”
Even as she blushed, White’s determination came through her timid nature. Gran smiled in return. She had known White since she was very young, but had never expected her to experience romance. Gran must have felt a sense of relief for that fact, too.
——A meeting room in the Holy Castle.
When White returned to their usual meeting room, Queen was looking bored, her feet up on the roundtable and her hands behind her head. When she saw the glowing ring above White’s head, she and her chair tumbled to the floor with a loud crash.
“S-Sis! W-What the fuck is that!? A-Above your head...!?”
Uncharacteristically, White wore a teasing grin. Normally, White was the one being surprised and tormented by her sisters. Now the tables had turned.
“T-That’s an Angel’s Ring... What the hell is happening!?”
“Yes. Someone... gave it to me.”
White gave Queen the same answer she gave Gran, but had a clear picture of the Demon Lord as the man he was. Who could have blamed her? While their encounter was short, much had happened during that time. He had seen her naked, sipped from her glass, and pulled her by the waist to accompany him for the execution of a miracle. Then he gave her the Angel’s Ring. He smiled, and said ‘it suits you well.’ Finally... he promised they would meet again. Every time White recalled the encounter in her mind, she felt a warmth kindle in her chest. While it was short, every event was a shock, full of mysterious danger. Her heart pounded faster with every reminiscence. Queen picked up on something.
“What’s going on... Why do you look like such a woman, Sis?”
“L-Like a woman...!?”
“I don’t give a shit about the Angel’s Ring anymore. Who is it? I can smell the guy on you from a mile away, now.”
“W-Why should I tell you...?”
White misspoke in her sister’s presence. Now she had admitted that there was a man behind it.
“Woah... You, of all people? Does he have a Holy Sword, or something? Or is he like a dragon...?”
“That’s who you’re into! I feel grateful for him, but I...”
“Huh!? You got a problem with Sir Zero!? I won’t take that shit! Even from you, Sis!”
“I-I don’t have a problem with him... I just prefer, you know, a distinguished, mature...”
“You fucking moron! Don’t get it!? Sir Zero’s innocent smile! His power! His gestures! His clothes! Don’t you get how cool he is!? He’s undefeated! Un! Defeated!”
“U-Undefeated? So what...? He performed a mir... N-Never mind.”
White nearly spoke of the miracle in the heat of the moment, and caught herself. Even to Queen, she wouldn’t dare speak of it lightly.
“In any case, I have to meet him. If he can take my punches, he’ll have my approva
l.”
“And why exactly would I need that!?”
“Huh? I just don’t like this guy. Let me beat him up.”
“Beat... You know you’re a Holy Maiden, don’t you!?”
“Who gives a shit?”
“I do!”
As the pair of sisters continued their screaming match, the sun set on the Holy Castle. However, White had no time to rest. In order to find a deeper meaning behind it all, she had requested the presence of someone. Considering the busy schedules on both sides, it did take a while to make the meeting happen, but it was finally scheduled. She had contacted Madame Butterfly, the woman who continued to affect Holylight in a major way without the aid of any organization.
The Meeting of the White Butterfly
A carriage arrived in front of the Holy Castle, commencing a tense day for all. The carriage was adorned with crests and banners, unmistakable by anyone in Holylight. It was an elegant crest of a butterfly spreading its wings. Any noble would have watched themselves in the presence of this crest. The Madame exited the carriage, wearing a deep blue dress with a beautiful butterfly pattern. The guard straightened his back with a nervous expression and greeted her as loud as he could.
“Oh, you have a lot of energy, don’t you?”
The Madame brushed the guard’s cheek and slyly put a silver coin into his pocket. The guard was startled by it, but couldn’t disrespect the high noblewoman by refusing. Instead, he straightened his back even more to show his gratitude. While nobles were usually disliked by the commoners, the Butterflies were less so. It wasn’t that the Madame in particular had influence over everyone in the country, but more because of monetary reasons. From the mines that the Butterflies owned, they produced good quality Spell Stones well-suited for Earth spells. For the mostly dry Holylight, those were an important resource. For generations now, the Butterflies had never overpriced these Spell Stones, but rather flooded the market with them. The people recognized this, and held the Madame in a slightly better light than most nobles. The Butterflies knew that if they were to overprice the Spell Stones, the land would worsen, and end up biting them later. Their policy wasn’t for compassion or mercy, but self-preservation.
Demon Lord, Retry! Volume 3 Page 12
