episode_0036

Longing kills.

Was it a twist of fate, or was the Demon King’s longing prevented him from dying?

*****

We decided to share information. The woman who told me her name was Noah exchanged information about the current situation outside, and I exchanged information about the Goddess of Libra and the Demon King system.

*

‘Remember this well, because this is important information. Even when everything on this earth is over.’

“Whaaah?!!! Huh, where did you say that…!?”

‘Of course I can do this much in my mind. I just thought to myself.’

“Well, can’t you tell me that in advance…”

Even though I was watching intently, a voice suddenly came out of nowhere, and my heart almost dropped. No, did it already drop? Anyway, it was that sudden.

*

“First of all, I don’t know the details of the situation either. I’m just the owner of a house that’s only been around for a few decades, and I just inherited it. I don’t know any high-level information that only nobles would have access to.”

“Then how do you know about the goddess? Even the most common duke wouldn’t know that the gods are dark inside.”

“Oh, is that all?”

“Yeah, you probably know the most, so don’t be so humble and just tell me.”

I clearly meant that to quell her overflowing energy, but she must have taken it as a compliment and instead gave a “ahem” and shrugged her shoulders.

“First of all, the reason I want to interfere with the Goddess’s work is because of Lucifer. Lucifer, who went to see the Goddess a few months ago, came back with a look of being lost in thought…”

I bet you told that guy everything.

“Oh, how did you know?”

“Your face is all covered in stains. And did I put it into words?”

I guess I’ve developed a habit of talking to myself.

“I just said it.”

“…Ah.”

We need to fix it or something.

“Big, can I keep talking? The goddess will take back the warrior’s power, and after the empire, elves, races, and lands, she will kill only the people of the Holy Nation, and after the Demon King is dealt with, she will absorb all the people and turn them into vending machines of divine power that are no different from death. That’s- too, too cruel. I want to save the people! ”

“So what I came up with was that piece of ship, no. an ark?”

“Yeah! I took the money from above and hired dwarven engineers to build the body, and I’m throwing money at the magicians in the tower to create magic. Magic that will allow us to find a dimension that will accept us, break through the dimensional walls, and sail through the dimensional rift to another safe dimension! …And I also wanted to lighten Lucifer’s load a little. Hehe… Is this a bit too petty? ”

Her eyes sparkled as she explained the plan. I know those exact same eyes. The eyes of a dreamer, lingering in my hazy memory.

Not pseudo-people, but people who are truly trying to enlighten someone with their thoughts.

And there are always those who jump into the fire pit and burn to death.

I was convinced that the woman in front of me was about to die.

“But I’ve made the body, but I guess the magic isn’t developed well. I have to hide it so that I don’t catch the goddess’s eye, so I bought a family relic.”

“Since when did my hideout become the relics of some family? Well, that’s okay. So that’s why you brought that stupidly large ship here?”

“Yeah!”

The guy’s eyes sparkled. He really was a helpless guy. In the first place, there’s no way low-level people who are motivated by money could do something like that. If they were capable of doing something like that, they’d already be pretty far from the afterlife.

“Haa… Have you heard of Jipijigi Baekjeon Baekseung?”

“Yeah! I hear it a lot while operating the top.”

“Then listen carefully, because what you know is not everything. There is probably a little bit of the goddess’s bluff mixed in there.”

“Blithe…?”

“Yeah, just bluffing.”

He’s probably going to close up shop and run away after getting stabbed by me.

I continued to explain quietly.

“Where is the idiot who would listen to the enemy’s explanation 100% straight? Of course, the basic idea of making the divine power vending machine is the same, but the underlying idea is a little different.”

“Is there a difference?”

“There’s also a certain amount of fear involved. If a doll in your mansion suddenly came to life with a knife and killed all your family members, wouldn’t you want to leave the mansion because it was so ominous even after disposing of the doll? No, you could set fire to the mansion to get rid of the ominous thing. ”

“Ugh, right…”

She made a creepy expression, as if she was imagining it.

“The goddess is like that too. She wants to make a killing with me and then make another killing, but since I killed all the gods, Pangea will just take all the money she invested, destroy everything she can, and then settle down in another dimension to act as a god. Since Pangea will keep spitting out divinity like a vending machine, she can subdue the original god of that dimension with force and take over the dimension… That’s how she calculated. ”

“Huh, you?”

Oh, didn’t I tell you yet?

“Because I am… the ‘6th Demon King’.”

“Gasp.”

Well, I wonder if my reputation could disappear so easily. I wonder if I spoke too lightly.

“What’s in that legend?”

“…Legend?”

“I thought all the stories about the Demon King and the Hero were lies made up by adults!”

As I watched her eyes sparkle and her evaluation of me rise, I could bet my horns that the goddess had destroyed my information in order to preserve her belief in herself. If she had known about the massacre I had caused, she would not have been so calm.

Of course, I have no obligation to tell you.

“Yeah, yeah. Stop glaring at me like that… Seriously, seriously. It’s burdensome!”

“Ugh.”

“Eww, it’s not okay to say something like that, what are you doing to an outsider who’s been around for thousands of years?”

Only after struggling and pushing Noah away was I able to continue speaking.

Damn, I’m so tired.

“After hearing the story, I understand what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to make a great escape with that ark, right?”

“That’s right!”

Without a Golden Retriever, he quietly turned his head away from her, who was nodding her head vigorously, and began to make a guess for a moment. Yes, I did some magic when I was locked up here and when I was the Demon Lord. I think I could do it.

“Just cancel that magic tower request. I think I can do it.”

It was just pouring water into a bottomless pit anyway. I’d rather do it myself.

“One… week? That should be enough.”

I ran my hand over the rough surface of the ark, and reported it as if it were telling the obvious truth that if you spill a cup of water, the water will spill. This time, I made a fool of myself. A rather large thorn was stuck in my hand, and blood was flowing, but I felt good.

“Ma, I just donated tens of thousands of gold to the Magic Tower, but it’s that easy…?”

“…How many tens of thousands of gold? Tsk tsk… Man, that’s really pitiful…”

Well, she couldn’t have helped it at that time. The only place that seemed most likely was Matap, so she probably invested her money like pouring water into it.

“I guarantee you this one thing. I am the greatest coincidence of your life.”

Mana gathers to form dots.

Dots come together to form lines, and lines connect to form a formation.

I showed off my showmanship and bragged about things I shouldn’t have done before her eyes, who didn’t know my dirty true nature. I told her I could help you with your plan.

This feeling.

It wasn’t something like love or sympathy.

The feeling of stars twinkling in your eyes, the feeling of electricity rushing through your head and coloring your mind in a rainbow of colors, destroying your sense of reason.

I, who was infinitely empty, yearned for the wooden structure,

The flame of the goal was so strong that it could burn out a dark lamp when it went out.

As usual, all dreamers would hug their followers and fall into the fire pit to their deaths.

So why was I so captivated by that momentary light that was even more admirable?

Even though he knew the obvious story that the dreamer would die and disappear, the oppressor would live well and leave, and the middleman who neither followed nor oppressed but only sympathized would lose the light of hope again, why did he do this?

Was it because I was like an empty corpse, entangled like a moth in her sparkling light, that I could not help but be filled by that arrogantly shining light?

Was it something you couldn’t help but admire?

Like a swarm of bees swarming in fresh water… I chose to long for a burning death even if I had to die someday.

People long for what they once did not have. Therefore, even I, who was once a human, could not avoid it, and there was no truth greater than that, nor any filthiness less than that.

*****

What should I say?

I feel like my consciousness is fading away. Is this okay?

*****

A little over a week has passed.

While studying the magic to be used on the ark, they came to the conclusion that it would be better to build a single system rather than creating separate magics for dimensional search, dimensional wall opening, and dimensional navigation to accommodate other-worlders.

What happened after that was a breeze.

To some extent, the completion of the ark system is just one day away. In fact, I may have some talent as an engineer.

“Not long until Noah comes.”

During that time, Noah came here almost every day. I’m sure he was out of breath just from climbing the mountain, but he must have felt sorry for me, who hadn’t been able to talk to anyone for thousands of years. I wasn’t bad either. Having someone to talk to was happier than I thought.

If she brought up the topic first, more than half of it was about that bloody angel named Lucifer, and if I brought up the topic first, it was always about something that hadn’t been brought up before. I was tired of repetition.

I too have had times when I had such a burning love.

And soon, I will die as a dreamer, holding this love in my arms.

The ark was more perfect than ever. No, this is probably due to my technical skills. I guess I can boast about this much.

{Start the Noah’s Ark system.}

I turned it on with trembling hands.

{Hello, Creator.}

A blue hologram girl spoke to me.

{What is my name?}

The name I came up with without a moment’s hesitation when I thought that this magic would be made into an artificial intelligence with a sense of self. Well, I didn’t discuss it with Noah, but I’m an engineer, so I guess this level of deviation is okay?

Your name is―

“pigeon. That’s your name, the one who will bring the olive branch.”

{Pizeon, confirmed. Creator. Are you launching the Ark Project?}

“What the hell?”

It’s not Pizeon, it’s Pyeon. Did something go wrong?

“…Pigeon.”

{…}

“Pidgeon! Pidgeon you piece of shit!”

{…}

Should I just hit him and fix him? The impulse crossed my mind, but the hand of a demon lord who has been around for a long time like me is no joke, and a simple touch can be fatal. Right, isn’t it the same thing as Pizeon or Pizeon? It was faster for me to rationalize myself than to lose my mind and destroy Pizeon, no, Pizeon.

“Yeah, you damn Pizeon. If you don’t want to turn on the system and have it break down while you don’t have a power source right now, lock that function and go into sleep mode until you hear the password I set. ”

{…Okay, I understand. What should I use as the password?}

Password… what could it be?

The name of the person you love? I don’t remember.

Anything related to enlightenment?

Even though I am a moth blinded by the light, isn’t that too much? Let’s think about Noah, who had to shout that in front of the people who were going to board the ark.

Oh, I remembered.

“Become a black heart and fly beyond. Let’s fly just one more time.”

{Password settings have been confirmed. Change P-Zeon to power saving mode…}

Now that I think about it, this might not make much of a difference.

But, since it’s a ship that will return to my heart, wouldn’t it be okay to put my feelings in it?

Oh, didn’t we talk about this?

The power source of this ark will be my heart.

Would it be easy to find a dimension among countless dimensions that would accept the indigenous people of this land, tear down the dimensional wall, and secure enough power to safely protect the ark and sail to that dimension?

Still, when I die, I want to die shining.

With my black heart, I fly with wings, free from everything.

She might not know until that day that she wants to save me too.

“El! I’m back again!”

“You’re so excited today. Is it because the ark is complete?”

“That too, but… hehe.”

“…”

Noah’s face was flushed red. It was clearly a sign of love.

“Are you going to confess? To that guy named Lucifer.”

“You’re really quick-witted… So, I’d like some advice. Wouldn’t that be okay? You’re a guy like Lucifer…”

“You’re putting too many categories together. If you look at it that way, even a dog on the street is just another man. …Haa, right. If it weren’t for me, I wouldn’t even know how to confess. It’s better that you came to me.”

“Hehe.”

Looking at Noah, who was smiling like an idiot, I slowly recalled how I had confessed…

…What do you expect from my memory, damn it. I can’t even remember my lover’s face.

Then, isn’t there something different? Youth is something that should be remembered as a good memory. It should be okay…

“A bouquet of red roses? I wonder if the flower language is love or something. I hear that people often use them when confessing… Wait, isn’t this my standard? Isn’t this trendy and gone?”

“No, it’s still trendy these days! Thanks for the idea…!!”

After saying those words, Noah ran out of the cave again.

Did you really come all the way here to get some relationship advice?

It was funny, but it was also refreshing and fun to watch. Okay, I have to make fun of this before I die. If I miss out on this super fun moment, I won’t be able to achieve Buddhahood after I die and will wander around as a vengeful spirit.

It was quite an enjoyable experience to finish the ark while chuckling at that thought. When that was over in one day, I was preparing to tease Noah, who had successfully confessed, and Lucifer, a guy whose face I had never seen before, for the remaining six days, imagining them being sweethearts.

…This was a different feeling from Tokyo.

So is this a friend?

Friend… I guess. It may be a one-sided thought, but it was truly an excessive gift on the way.

Knock knock, knock knock. Knock knock knock knock!

“Aaah! Ugh, ugh…”

But is it that such distracting thoughts are a luxury for me?

It had only been seven days, and already here was a man running towards me with an expression on his face that no one should have.

“…ugh, heck, …el. el!! Are you still there? Please, tell me you’re there…”

There’s something I’m really curious about.

“I’m stuck here, so calm down first.”

I patted Noah on the back as she ran over, panting as if she was out of breath, and sneaked a glance at her expression.

It was too distorted and sad for someone who had successfully confessed, and it looked like someone who had been dumped had an urgent expression. And the fact that her knees and palms were covered in bruises made it almost certain that she had been running around here and there without taking care of herself and had come to me.

Why is the sky always so cruel, if not cruel?

“What the hell happened? I need to hear an explanation so I can help you.”

“Lucifer, Lucifer…”

Tears like chicken droppings fell, wetting the white floor.

Are you only taking the pain you want to take from me from my people?

She let go of the bouquet of flowers that had been tossed around in her hands, leaving only thorns on the green stems, after sobbing and croaking for a moment, and spoke resolutely.

“…Can you open a portal to heaven?”

I already knew that you were that kind of person when you were trapped in the shackles of time without even committing a single sin, and since even I ended up committing a dirty sin, I will not say anything more.

But, leaving behind only an empty body after having taken it all away, now even the starlight that is on its way to death is being taken away.

Even though she knew this was the path to death, she willingly volunteered to save the one she loved.

I liked the warmth of the person who embraced and befriended someone like me.

I respected your charity, as you naturally spent your own money to save a stranger who was on the verge of destruction.

Then, should I have expected that if this situation came up, you would naturally throw yourself for the person you love?

That I would leave this life so easily…

I hate you, gods. I hate you, world. I detest your cruelty. But now I have no more hands to swing my sword at you.

Now, I didn’t feel like laughing at all at the tragedy that was being thrust right in front of my mouth, telling me to accept it without even being able to resist, but I scoffed.