Chapter 520: First Anniversary Extra Chapter ~~ The Visitor's Beginnings Part 2 ③: The Birth of the Phantasmal King ~~

Near the center of the Demon Realm, six Demons were gathered in a powerful specially prepared for them. At the center of the discussion between these Demons, whose strengths were all near the top of the Demon Realm, is a girl…… Shalltear.

[……And with that, it's pretty much just as what was written on the documents.]

Shalltear was talking about the documents she handed out prior to this discussion. Only Magnawell wasn't able to read what was written on the documents due to his size, so Shalltear had to read it aloud and explain it to him.

And now, other than Shalltear, the five people gathered here…… have stunned expressions on their faces, frantically trying to understand what Shalltear had said.

The contents of this document contain what can be called a major reform of the Demon Realm……There are a wide range of changes, which also includes the means on how to achieve this change, but the two biggest changes written on it was the clarification of power in terms of rank and the selection of the king that would be the center of the Demon Realm. Looking at the documents, they can already assume why Shalltear gathered the five of them in this place.

But even so…… they still couldn't believe it. Even the normally calm Ein couldn't hide her astonishment.

However, that astonishment isn't about "whether or not what was written here can be achieved". They were astonished by how they felt that the current Shalltear "would definitely be able to achieve this".

It's been about a hundred years since Shalltear started working to reform the Demon Realm…… Yes, in just a hundred years, Shalltear had gained enough power to be able to take root in the entirety of the vast Demon Realm.

The people Shalltear directly invited to join her group became the upper echelons, who then added more people to their ranks. And so, after a hundred years, the number of subordinates Shalltear had was already close to a billion.

Furthermore, most of the beings that could have interfered with her plans have left this world. Yes, to put it in another way, Shalltear has seized the vast magical world in just a hundred years.

Thinking about Shalltear's peculiar…… or perhaps, demonic ability to achieve such a thing, Ein and the others shuddered.

[Well, I'm sure you've already guessed what I'm going to say, but I want all of you to become kings. Including Kuro-san, I guess we'll call ourselves the "Seven Kings" eh? I'll negotiate with Kuro-san, so I hope all of you will positively consider it.]

No one responded to Shalltear's words. Their minds couldn't keep up with what's happening at all.

In such a situation…… It was Lillywood who finally managed to squeeze out her words.

"……Shalltear…… How many Demons have you killed?"

[I dunno? I don't remember how much trash I dispose of.]

"……You……"

Words that are spoken too nonchalantly…… Words that make one feel like she doesn't care about the lives of others…… Thinking about how Shalltear would be willing to commit genocide if it was the most efficient way to achieve her goals, Lillywood's eyes were filled with fear.

[Well, it's not like I'm in a hurry to receive your answers. I'll go ahead and instill the concept of High-ranked Demons in the mind of others first…… By the time I finish doing that, you should be able to think well about it. Well, I don't think it will take more than a year doing that though.]

Leaving those words, Shalltear disappeared. The people remaining in that area…… went through their thoughts in silence.

Except for Ein, who later refused, saying that "she would be Kuromueina's servant for her whole life", everyone, including Kuromueina, accepted Shalltear's proposal.

But unfortunately, Shalltear is unaware of Kuromueina's wishes at this point, and as a result, she feels guilty when she realized that her decision to establish Kuromueina, the person she owes so much, as a king had hurt Kuromueina's emotions…… but that's a story for another time.

Their encounter was just a coincidence. Lillywood, who was feeling inexplicably uneasy after witnessing Shalltear's unfathomable eeriness, met an eccentric person near her house.

"……You are, if I'm not mistaken…… Pandora, right?"

[If it isn't Lillywood-sama. Good day.]

Pandora, Shalltear's retainer, was personally trained by Shalltear, and she was one of the people who carry out Shalltear's orders in various parts of the Demon Realm.

Because of this, she rarely came to the house where Lillywood and the others lived, and they never talked to each other much.

All Lillywood knew was that Pandora was the closest confidant Shalltear had, and that she had lost one of her eyes in the past.

However, was it because she's Shalltear's confidant, and that's why she made such a decision? Lillywood, as if her actions were guided by an unseen hand, took a certain action.

"……If I remember correctly, weren't you missing one of your eyes?"

[Yes, I lost it a long time ago…… What of it?]

"If you want, you can have this…… If you eat this fruit, it will heal back your missing eye."

[………………..]

Lillywood handed Pandora the Fruit of the World Tree, which heals all wounds except those that the person themselves doesn't want to heal.

Lillywood herself didn't know exactly why she had suddenly taken such action.

Did she simply want to heal the painful wounds of someone she knew, or did she want Pandora to feel grateful to her so that she could somehow get information about Shalltear, or perhaps…… Because she was getting so creeped out by Shalltear, she wants to diminish the unspeakable anxiety she's feeling, even though it may be indirectly, by confirming that Pandora, whom she has taken under her wing, is a normal person……

Pandora stared at the Fruit of the World Tree handed to her for a while, and then, without any particular hesitation, she brought it into her mouth.

[……Thank you very much for your concern, Lillywood-sama.]

"No, please don't mind it. Even though we haven't had much chance to talk with each other, I still consider you as part of our family———– Eh?"

Lillywood was relieved that Pandora had obediently accepted her generosity, and tried to calmly tell her they're family with a gentle smile but…… the relief she felt was soon shattered.

After all, Pandora, whose lost right eye was healed, without any hesitations…… "gouged out her right eye with her own hand"……

"W- What are you…… What are you doing!?"

[……Ahh, with this, I finally feel perfect……]

"……Eh?"

Seeing Pandora’s sudden actions, Lillywood exclaimed in astonishment, but she stiffened when she saw the deep smile that Pandora had immediately afterward.

[The wounds that trash has given me has finally disappeared…… "and I've also finished crushing the right eye that Lillywood-sama gave me". With this, my body is entirely "composed of only the things given to me by Shalltear-sama"! Ahh, how wonderful! Now, my body, my soul, my everything! All of it now belongs to Shalltear-sama! Ahh…… This happiness…… I feel so happy…… as if I'm about to climax.]

"……Wha……"

[Thank you very much, Lillywood-sama…… Now, I can truly and completely be "Shalltear-sama's servant". I thank you from the bottom of my heart.]

"………………."

Lillywood had no idea what the being in front of her was talking about. She couldn't understand what Pandora was thinking when she stomped out her gouged out right eye, blood flowing down her face and smiling like a mad woman.

Watching Pandora's back as she deeply bowed and left, Lillywood looked pale as she muttered.

"……Servant? Shalltear…… What did you do to Pandora…… For you…… is that your ideal soldier?"

Her voice reaching no one's ears, her voice slightly trembled as she muttered. At this time, Lillywood clearly felt that Shalltear was terrifying.

She had raised a subordinate with a loyalty that could even be perceived as madness. She was too rational and cold-hearted that she would want beings who would willingly die for her…… Thinking of Shalltear as such a person, Lillywood became afraid of her from the bottom of her heart.

Incidentally…… This was just Lillywood's complete misunderstanding. Among Shalltear's subordinates, the only one who had this outrageous amount of loyalty is Pandora. In fact, even Shalltear is holding her head at Pandora's loyalty, wondering how the heck it came to this.

But to Lillywood, who didn't know about this, it was as if Shalltear had intentionally raised Pandora to a mad woman.

It was going to take her a really long time before she could clear up this misunderstanding.

Just like that, despite some miscalculations and misunderstandings, things proceeded generally as Shalltear had planned…… and five years later, the "Six Kings" has been established as the pinnacle of the Demon Realm.

With her demonic skills, Shalltear took control of the Demon Realm…… calling herself the nameless king, the Phantasmal King No Face, she finally began to move towards her true goal.

However, her plans had only managed to get her this far…… and Shalltear's true purpose hadn't progressed until an astonishing amount of years later passed…… and the otherworlder Miyama Kaito appeared.

Shalltear : I made a mistake in educating Pandora. Seriously, I can't even laugh at it.

Pandora : Ahh, I can finally give my everything and pledge my allegiance to Shalltear-sama. I'm really grateful to Lillywood-sama for this.

Lillywood : For her to raise a child to be this crazy…… Shalltear, what in the world are you planning to do with this world……

Serious-senpai : [He appeared! Kaito has finally appeared! The Author has already reached his limit, come out quickly! Quickly distribute the swee…… wait, arehh? Unnn? I'm…… Seriousness Incarnate, aren't I? ……arehh?]

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