Crescent lowered the hood that had been obscuring most of her face, her voice echoing through the grand hall.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
What state was her father in now? Was he still sharing his body with the Demon King? Surely, his soul hadn’t been extinguished.
In the original game, her father’s soul had always remained within the Demon King’s body, so it must still be there.
The Demon King’s terrifying eyes bore into her, filled with a murderous intent so immense it was suffocating.
Just as she feared she might be crushed by that aura, the Demon King reached out and grabbed Duke Winterly by the throat.
“You dared to mock me.”
“Urgh!”
Crack.
Crash!
With inhuman strength, the Demon King hurled Winterly’s body across the room.
The duke’s body crumpled like a broken doll, landing next to the smashed remnants of the cake on the wall. Blood, dark and thick, began to seep down, mixing with the wine-soaked cake like a macabre mirror image.
Crescent shuddered faintly at the sight.
‘He’s dead!’
The ruler of the Winter Domain was no more!
It hadn’t even taken a second for a demon ranked 23rd to be obliterated.
This outcome had been part of Crescent’s plan all along.
She had known that the moment the Demon King saw the message, “Dad, Happy Birthday,” he would likely kill Winterly on the spot.
After all, he loathed being treated as Lloyd Delight, despising the term “Dad” most of all.
And indeed, the Demon King had done exactly that, eliminating Duke Winterly in an instant.
A plan she had half relied on luck to succeed had come together perfectly.
“How did you get here? Have you come seeking death?”
The low voice jolted her from her thoughts, and she turned to see the Demon King’s blazing crimson eyes locked onto her.
She stared at him for a moment. Despite the dread, she felt an odd sense of relief—it had been so long since she had seen her father. Yet, the sight also stirred revulsion.
This was the being responsible for plunging both her and her father into this nightmare.
But Crescent took a deep breath, forcing a cheerful smile.
“Dad! It’s been so long. You still in there? I’ve grown a lot—do you recognize me?”
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The air around them froze, crackling with tension as the Demon King’s fury manifested. Even the atmosphere seemed to hold its breath.
“Today, I’ll kill you once and for all.”
His words were like a growl, dripping with venom, as he took a step forward.
Suddenly, splurt.
Blood poured from his mouth, stopping him in his tracks.
Crescent gasped in shock.
“Dad!”
Her heart soared despite the horrifying sight. Her father’s soul must still be fighting for control within the Demon King’s body!
At that moment, a notification echoed in her mind:
<Congratulations!>
<The 23rd-ranked demon of the Demon Realm, Duke Winterly, has been eliminated!>
<Exiting the dungeon, “Duke Winterly’s Winter Domain.”>
Exiting?
Were they about to be forcibly removed from here?
This meant they had survived the Winter Domain, but Crescent wasn’t ready to leave just yet. She needed to hear her father’s voice, even if only for a moment.
“Urgh.”
Blood gushed from the Demon King’s mouth again, and he collapsed to his knees, a pool of crimson spreading around him.
And then Crescent noticed something horrifying: her body was beginning to fade.
The elimination of Duke Winterly was triggering her departure from the Demon King’s Castle.
‘No, not yet!’
“Dad!” she called out again, desperation clear in her voice.
But he seemed too consumed by the internal struggle to acknowledge her presence.
Her transparency increased, and Crescent realized the end was near.
With urgency, she shouted one last time:
“Dad, happy birthday! I made that cake myself, but the Demon King smashed it to pieces! Please, at least taste it! It’s the first birthday cake I’ve ever made for you....”
Her voice faded along with her body, and in the next moment, Crescent was gone from the Demon King’s Castle.
Inside the blood-drenched ruins of the hall, the Demon King remained, locked in a battle with himself.
***
I blinked once, my eyes adjusting to the scene slowly coming into focus.
It was the winter domain, the same place I had been before using the teleportation ticket.
As soon as I recognized where I was, a deep sigh escaped me.
“How could this...?”
My heart sank.
The Ice Castle was gone.
No, not just gone—what remained of it was an enormous heap of shattered ice, piled high like a mountain.
Could the Ice Castle really have collapsed?
The fortress, which had seemed indestructible, reduced to rubble?
It was unbelievable, and yet there it was.
But that wasn’t the only thing that caught my attention.
In front of the wreckage stood an unfamiliar object: a massive sphere, shimmering in aurora-like hues, tilted as if melting.
Could that be the Aurora Orb with Eyes that Duke Winterly had mentioned?
But where was Meteor?
I quickly turned my head, searching for him.
And then I froze in place.
Not far from me, Meteor stood, staring back at me.
His eyes were as wide as mine.
Behind him, a pitch-black exit loomed, wide open.
Even though there was a clear way out, he wasn’t moving. He was just standing there.
Could he have been... waiting for me?
Shaking off the momentary shock, I started toward him.
“What are you doing there?”
“Where were you?”
We spoke at the same time, and I halted mid-step, pressing my lips together. I had heard him clearly despite the overlap.
From where I stood, I asked again:
“Were you waiting for me?”
“I asked where you were.”
Meteor’s voice was unsteady, a mix of exasperation and something deeper, like he was holding back a surge of emotions.
Was he that worried about me?
He sounded angry, but his expression was more concerned than anything else.
I let out a soft sigh, knowing I couldn’t avoid answering.
“I was with Duke Winterly. I was exploring the castle when the space around me suddenly shifted.”
“...What?”
Meteor’s tone was incredulous, as if he hadn’t even considered the possibility.
After a brief pause, his voice came again, steadier this time:
“I see. I figured something unexpected must have happened to you. I don’t know why it did, but... I’m just glad you’re okay. At least you didn’t disappear entirely.”
“You must’ve been worried. Let’s talk more after we get out of here.”
He nodded once in agreement.
Just as I had questions for him, I was sure he had plenty for me, too. But escaping the Demon Realm took precedence.
Without another word, we headed toward the exit, our unspoken understanding aligning our steps.
Whatever had happened, we had survived again.
***
"Urgh!"
Baal coughed up blood for the third time.
He was immobilized, bound by Lloyd’s relentless grip on his soul.
How many years had this absurd coexistence dragged on?
Crescent Delight had already vanished, likely returning to the human realm.
Yet Lloyd refused to relent, continuing to torment him and squeezing his heart with unyielding fury.
Through clenched teeth, Lloyd muttered venomously to Baal:
“You’ve committed an unforgivable sin. How dare you smash the first birthday cake my daughter ever made for me against a wall? You wouldn’t understand how I feel—you don’t have a daughter.”
He hadn’t even been able to properly admire how the cake looked.
Worse still, he hadn’t gotten a good look at Crescent, who had gone through so much just to see him again.
All he had managed to glimpse was her clear, youthful voice and the brief impression of her taller frame and longer hair.
In the years since he last saw her, Crescent had grown from a child into a young woman.
That same daughter had braved the Demon Realm to bring him a birthday cake, wanting to celebrate him despite everything.
What kind of daughter did something like that?
His eyes stung with tears.
He had done nothing for Crescent all this time, yet she had risked everything to come to the Demon King’s Castle for him.
And to think that vile Demon King had tried to harm her. Lloyd would never forgive him.
Pouring every ounce of strength he had saved up, Lloyd made sure Baal couldn’t harm Crescent.
Baal, however, scoffed at him.
“Enough. At this rate, your soul will be completely destroyed. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you were extinguished before this is over?”
“If it means eating the cake my daughter made for me, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, Lloyd struggled to his feet, his movements trembling but resolute.
The idea of eating something a human made—trash, as far as Baal was concerned—made the Demon King shudder in disgust.
But Lloyd’s determination burned brighter than ever.