No, My Paddak…! 5

I didn’t see it with my eyes.

However, Alice instinctively realized the identity of the enormous energy source connected to her… that is, connected under the guise of ‘Code Liberation.’

“What the fuck.

Why is my body here?

In the Ark Central Administration.

What’s more, I’ve become a biological proxy magical calculator and mana fuel tank for high-ranking Awakened, including all sorts of Overseers, under the great cause of protecting humanity’s peace and order?”

“No, what the hell is this, seriously?

Damn it. Crazy. I’m going insane. How am I supposed to accept this?”

Was I even really dead in the first place?

No, the me in my second life… the me as the Demon King, I died, didn’t I?

It was certain that I died.

What the hell is going on…

【…….】

“I’m going crazy.”

I can even feel Theresa being shocked in real-time right now.

No, Theresa wasn’t just shocked, she was spewing out rage.

You might ask how I know she’s angry when she’s just an auxiliary personality, but I just feel it.

I felt like if Theresa had a body, she would definitely be biting her lip hard enough to draw blood from anger right now, and her hands would be trembling.

Yeah, no matter what, the most important thing to Theresa is me.

We usually make jokes and tease each other, but in the end, Theresa cherishes Alice the most. No matter what happens before her eyes, she only aims for Alice’s life and safety.

So, it’s not that strange that Theresa is expressing anger.

【Human, this is no longer acceptable. Let’s sink the Ark.】

‘Theresa?’

【These things. These humans. These Ark beings have no reason to live. They have no value. The word ‘hatred’ has been detected in the hundreds of millions of synapses that make up me. Even if each and every one of them is embedded in the sensors and permanently damaged, I want to cherish that emotion. Let’s annihilate the humans, the Ark, those vile and ungrateful, despicable apes.】

Rather, Alice was taken aback by Theresa’s outburst of anger.

【Those who kick away the opportunities given to them.】

【Those who knowingly degrade the value of themselves and their race.】

【Vile and despicable things. Things worse than beasts.】

【So let’s kill them. They are not worth living.】

Theresa was burning with an unprecedented, intense rage like an erupting volcano.

The influence was so intense that Alice felt like her own emotions were being consumed by Theresa.

【Ungrateful things. Thankless things. Selfish bastards who only seek their own survival. Worthless things. Things that are only valuable when they die.】

【Let’s annihilate them all. Let’s annihilate them all. Let’s not play along with the Overseer anymore. Let’s grind them all to dust. Let’s go back to the time when you were feared, under your command. You can do it. You deserve it. You are allowed to do so!】

What on earth happened?

What did you know that made you so angry?

Alice, who had been silently watching Theresa’s anger, finally let out a short sigh.

“Theresa, I’m dead.”

【You are not dead. You are perfectly alive. You are here. You are here. You have never disappeared. I know. I know you will not disappear, you will not leave me!!! You, you, you, you, you, you■■■■■■■■■■…!】

“Calm down.”

Alice, who was much calmer than before, told Theresa to calm down as if to soothe her.

“If I could touch you, I would pat you on the shoulder to calm you down, but unfortunately, I can’t touch you right now.”

【…Aren’t you angry? They are ungrateful. Humans, those of humanity, do not know what you have done, they have forgotten everything you have done, and they have simply ignored the mercy and love you have shown them!】

Was I that great?

Alice chuckled and tried to recall the past that she couldn’t even remember.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember anything.

Theresa seemed to know something, but even if I asked, she would definitely say, ‘Ah… that cannot be revealed yet’ again.

But as Alice pondered,

Huh? Come to think of it, I’m dead.

The Demon King me definitely died.

Since I died, that’s why my corpse is like that, with magical circuits connected and being sucked dry like a mosquito under the guise of Code Liberation.

Maybe my previous body as the Demon King is providing mana to the Overseers, giving them energy, and even calculating magical operations or formulas for them, just giving everything away like a generous tree.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t angry.

I was also horrified at first, saying, ‘No, fuck, my body!!!’

But when I think about it, I’m already dead.

In my previous life.

The me who lived as the Demon King definitely died, and humanity and the world were on the verge of annihilation in the face of an overwhelming violence and wave called calamity, and then they built the Ark.

To survive there.

Or, to fight against the calamity, they would have used anything they could, and that probably included my body.

Then, um… I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to use my body?

【Are you crazy?! It’s your body! Those ungrateful things are trampling on and ignoring everything you have done and achieved, and they are exploiting your body as they please! How can you not be angry? How can you look at that and think it’s okay!!】

“But, if one person’s sacrifice can save hundreds of millions, wouldn’t it be okay?”

【What…?】

“Does everyone in the Ark know me? Do they know that my body is being used? Even I only found out now, would the Overseers who use Code Liberation to protect people know that the central energy source is my body?”

【That’s not important!】

“It is important. I know that the Ark isn’t just a clean and noble place. But, somewhere, with my power. The Overseer who holds the authority of Code Liberation might be shedding blood to protect tens of millions of people from the calamity.”

【You are more important to me than that!】

Alice chuckled.

“Then, since I’m important to you, will you do me a favor? One person’s sacrifice saves tens of thousands. There is no honor, no reward, and no wealth. But will you do it? Wow, that’s so cool. I’ll do it right away.”

【Y-You foolish human…!!!!】

“Ms. Super-Perfect Auxiliary AI Theresa? Calm down now.”

Because I’m okay.

Theresa didn’t answer for a while after that.

Was it to calm her anger? Or had her blood pressure already risen and she died?

“And you said I’m the most important.”

【….】

“I’m here, Theresa.”

【Is that so.】

“Yeah, whether the Demon King’s body is used as an energy source for Code Liberation or not. I’m here, Theresa. So don’t look away and look at me.”

【…I understand. I have shown you an unsightly display.】

Only then did Theresa seem to return to her usual super-genius perfect AI personality, and her voice became calm and composed.

“Well, still, I need to find out why my old body couldn’t even be buried somewhere and is stuck in the Ark Central Administration as a medium for Code Liberation.”

【That’s right. We must uncover the truth and punish the related beings and all the ungrateful people involved…】

“Ah, it’s not decided that we’re going to kill them, so don’t get excited.”

Still, Alice was genuinely curious.

In my previous life.

What on earth did the Demon King me do?

And what did the humans do to me that made Theresa so enraged and angry?

Curiosity continued and continued, but that doesn’t mean that the current me is wavering or disappearing.

Alice looked at her own hands.

White and beautiful hands.

She had regained the Demon King’s domain after going through fusion several times.

It felt like a lot had happened in an instant, even though it seemed like it had only been about a year since she came to the Ark.

“Alice!”

“Ah, Oriana.”

And the person who could solve my curiosity was surprisingly close.

★

★

★

★

Oriana was overjoyed as soon as she saw Alice after a long time.

She wasn’t a weak person… no, since she wasn’t a weak person, she believed that she could still adapt to the Ark on her own to some extent.

In fact, Alice adapted on her own and achieved physical upgrades by achieving fusion on her own.

However, it was something that Oriana and Rilstia hadn’t expected that several administrators in the Ark Central Administration would suddenly collude to issue an execution order to Alice.

Originally, Oriana and Rilstia had decided to step back and watch over Alice until she slowly and gradually sprouted her ego, realized who she was, and regained the integrity of her body.

Alice was a precious opportunity and hope given to the incompetent selves.

But these damn central guys.

This goddamn mosquito bastard.

They couldn’t control their greed and dared to… to my Padak, to my Demon King, to my Alice…!

She let it go when Fira was flirting with Alice.

Fira was allowed to do so, because at least that child would definitely treat Alice with sincerity, so it was within the acceptable range.

She felt disgusted even when Sohi, that goddamn narcissistic pedophile, was drooling over Alice!

But even this was barely acceptable.

Because the basis of Sohi’s feelings towards Alice was goodwill and affection.

But now even a mosquito bastard is acting up?

I’m going to kill them.

I don’t care if a few civilians die anymore.

Calming her seething insides, Oriana headed towards Alice.

“Alice!”

“Ah, Oriana.”

And the moment she saw Alice, whom she had reunited with, Oriana felt something boiling up from within.

The appearance was clearly similar to before.

Still as beautiful as when they last parted, a face as pretty as a doll.

But, something was different now.

“You’ve… regained… your original body…”

She had regained her original body.

How?

Oriana’s mind raced.

The place where Alice was was the Enchantment of the Fallen.

And the Enchantment of the Fallen is… Ah, right.

The place where some of that person’s last territory remained.

I see.

She regained a fragment of that person in this place, and Alice thus came to have a complete body.

“As expected, Oriana. You knew, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

Only then did Oriana realize that she had inadvertently blurted out a murmur filled with emotion.

Ah, damn it.

My mouth is my enemy.