If I were to fail to fulfill my destiny, the despair and betrayal I felt on the day when my son, who was to inherit the task of completing humanity's extinction, struck me down and broke my horn was indescribable.
Still, perhaps he could not bear to kill his mother, for after breaking my horn, he banished me from the Darklands.
The hornless demon king lost all her power. I could no longer control the demon race, and they no longer followed me.
Only later did I realize that my son had banished me from the Darklands as a final act of mercy towards me. Had I remained, the demons who had escaped my rule would have tried to kill me.
I was left powerless, unable to use my magic, knowledge, or strength.
The pain of having one's horn broken was worse than death for a demon. For a time, I suffered immense pain from the place where my horn once was.
Did I come to my senses and realize my mistake?
No, I was simply furious and indignant.
I was heartbroken.
To have lost everything I had built over such a long time, to have been so close to achieving my goals, only for everything to be destroyed by my own son – the thought filled me with rage.
I could not die like that.
It was too infuriating.
It was too heartbreaking.
It was too unjust.
I did not want to admit that everything was over.
I knew not how, but I sought revenge. I wished to reclaim my throne with dignity and fulfill my uncompleted destiny against my son, who had brought such humiliation upon me.
I searched for a way for a hornless demon to regain power.
Realizing that I needed to become immortal in order to amass power over a long period, I became a vampire. As a vampire, I would accumulate the power of other beings within me, growing stronger once more.
I traversed both the Darklands and the human realm, taking the blood of many powerful demons, mighty magical beasts, and strong humans, sometimes engaging in life-threatening battles to seek the blood of the strong.
Upon hearing rumors of individuals who had achieved the pinnacle of vampire power in the ancient far north, I sought out the vampire lords, obtaining the power of a Vampire Lord, and thus became one of the Tuesday Clan.
Even after that, I took the blood of countless beings.
I devoured everything in my path, again and again.
So many consumed beings formed a mountain of corpses, and the blood I absorbed flowed like a river. I had devoured something for a very long time.
At some point, I had no choice but to become the head of the Tuesday Clan.
The previous head, who had grown weary of living and had given up on the world, said this as he passed on his position to me:
"Is it not time to put an end to the slaughter for the sake of slaughter?"
"Even if you drink the blood of every creature in the world, your thirst will never be quenched."
"Consider whether you truly desire what you seek." And with that, he closed their eyes.
It was a thought I had never considered before.
For a very long time, I realized I hadn't thought at all.
At some point, I had become an entity driven solely by instinct, killing to kill, drinking to drink, and growing stronger for the sake of strength.
I aimlessly wandered the world in search of powerful blood, but my original desire for revenge and purpose had vanished, buried deep within the passage of time.
I was still not enough.
Not enough to face the Demon King.
Not enough to reclaim the throne.
While I continued to slaughter for the sake of growing stronger, the throne of the Darklands had already changed hands.
The son who had broken my horn and banished me had long since met his end, and I only recently discovered that his daughter had become the next Demon King.
I had become a purposeless vampire, an immortal wanderer, roaming the continents in search of blood.
Why must the throne of the demonic realm be mine again?
Why must humanity be annihilated?
Why had I ever desired such things?
It had all become unknowable.
Lost in my obsession with strength and the pursuit of blood, I had become a mad vampire, consumed by an insatiable thirst.
I had realized far too late that my vague desire for revenge and the throne had already disappeared.
The power born from mountains of corpses and rivers of blood resided within me, but I had discovered far too late that I wanted nothing to do with it.
Even if countless tyrants sacrificed their people with their misguided actions, ultimately, it wasn't my hand that killed them.
As a tyrant, I sacrificed numerous demons, and after becoming a vampire, I piled up mountains of corpses with my own hands once more.
There was likely no one in this world who had caused more slaughter than I had.
It wasn't atonement, but having lost the meaning behind it all, I no longer engaged in slaughter.
Roaming the world in search of blood, I had become lost in emptiness, drifting aimlessly once more.
Without a purpose or a destination, I moved about like a wind that had lost its bearings, touching wherever I landed.
Sometimes in the Darklands, sometimes in the lands of humans.
Despite having lived for such an immense length of time, it was only then that I truly saw how beings lived.
When I was the Demon King, demons were tools and humans were enemies.
As a vampire, all beings were merely ingredients for strength.
Only after losing all my desires was I able to observe the living world without any purpose.
The way humans lived.
The way demons lived.
I watched them without purpose or reason, simply because they were there before my eyes.
Despite having traversed countless lands and consumed the blood of innumerable beings, it was as if I was seeing the countless sights I had witnessed for the first time.
One day, I crossed mountains; another, I walked through snowy plains; and on other days, I passed through deserts, straits, and jungles, observing the myriad ways in which countless beings lived and the various forms they took.
As everyone lived their lives, each seemingly similar yet distinct, I took in the landscapes of those lives.
I knew just how great a sin I had committed and how many lives I had destroyed.
I had shattered and ruined countless lives and foundations by gathering things that could have been more beautiful, or were already enough, in the insatiable bag of desire.
I am a sinner who learned the way to love something far too late.
A hideous and cowardly vampire who only realized the worthiness of love for those things after losing all rights to love and cherish them.
So, I thought to myself.
The mountain of sins I have built up is too great; the day when it can be covered by good deeds will never come. At the very least...
At the very least...
Let's not accumulate any more sins.
My life remained uncertain, as it always had.
I no longer drank blood, but I still aimlessly wandered the world, watching over something, trying to help someone as best as I could. However, I was cautious not to overstep my bounds.
I had no right to accumulate good deeds.
Showing a very small, almost imperceptible, amount of sympathy to someone was the best I could do.
That was how I spent my time, in indifference and acquiescence.
As I lived through the long, endless days of my uncertain existence, I eventually heard such a story.
The war between the Darkland and humanity was drawing near.
For the first time in a while, I felt confusion.
In that war, where countless people were bound to die, I didn't think that I, a forgotten Demon King and ancient vampire, would have a role to play.
However,
I did feel a sense of duty.
As the Demon King who once brought illness to the Darkland with tyranny.
As the Demon King who wished for the end of humanity, who hated humans.
As an Archdemon, a very ancient origin.
I felt a sense of duty that I should at least watch over the war, even if I couldn't play a significant role.
It couldn't be said that there was no sense of kinship left for the diluted and vanished blood of the Archdemon.
I believed that even if I couldn't provide the greatest help, offering a small amount of support, like barely holding the hand of a distant descendant, was what I had to do.
So, I sought out Valier and joined his ranks.
I wished for the war to conclude without shedding much blood. Regardless of whose victory it might be, I believed that the only good in war was in it ending swiftly, as it only resulted in bloodshed.
As I expected, I took on a rather unremarkable role and watched the progress of the war from a distance, far from the battlefield.
And then... as the war was drawing to a close.
On a certain day when the war had already ended far away from me.
A young boy opened the door to my shop and entered.
When that boy realized who I was.
I was...
I had a feeling that I was destined for something.
Having finished her long story, Eleris looks at me.
In a place where the Demon King would never appear, Eleris met me.
What could have crossed her mind at that moment?
Although she had never intended to take on any role, when the fallen Demon King of Darkland, her distant descendant and the last of her lineage, came into her embrace.
Eleris must have felt an intense destiny that she could not remain a bystander on the outskirts of the incident.
"As for the story after that... you know it already."
Eleris is a long-forgotten ancient Demon King.
Even the previous Valier knew that Eleris was a Lord Vampire but didn't know she was an ancient Demon King.
Now, I finally understand all of Eleris's actions.
The behavior and gazes that came out with a motherly attitude every time she dealt with me, could it have originated from such feelings?
The previous Valier would have already taken the position of an absolute ruler as the Demon King.
But since I was clumsy, lost my memory, and didn't even have proper abilities, Eleris must have been worried about me no matter what I did, and she couldn't help but worry if I would get hurt or die.
Eleris, who had been a tyrant, couldn't have been a proper parent.
So, when she dealt with me, she might have tried to give me some sort of affection that she couldn't give to her child at that time.
There had been times when I wondered if Eleris was similar to my mother, but it turns out she was a similar existence.
An Archdemon turned into a vampire.
That was Eleris's true form.
Though she lost all the power of an Archdemon, she was still an Archdemon at her core.
That's why she stood by the Demon King's side to watch the end, or victory, of the demon world established by the Archdemon.
"There's something I've been curious about for a long time."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Now that I knew Eleris was my ancestor, I wondered if I should address her differently. But since she still called me "Your Highness," it didn't seem necessary to sort out the titles.
"Did you have a husband then?"
"Yes."
I had been curious about this for a long time, and now I finally got to ask.
"More importantly, how do Archdemons, being such a small number, maintain their species?"
Currently, I am the only Archdemon. If you were to include Eleris and Charlotte broadly, but strictly speaking, I am the only pure-blooded Archdemon.
Had Eleris married another Archdemon?
Had the number dwindled down to this point?
Eleris looked at me quietly as if asking if that was my question.
"Archdemons can procreate with any species and that... um..."
"I get what you're saying. You don't need to explain further."
"Yes... of course, I don't have accurate information about what exactly is possible... but generally... and it's also very difficult for Archdemons to have offspring..."
Seeing Eleris fumbling for words, I thought I understood what she meant.
Archdemons can, well...
Do it with just about anything.
Uh...
Is that how it is?
I can't understand why...
It's unclear where it begins and where it ends.
It's terrifying.
Terrifying, really!
It might be better not to know who Eleris's husband really was!
So, that's why Eleris and the others haven't said much about who I like or anything like that until now...
"As generations pass, the blood of the Archdemon gradually weakens."
Now I understand why my demon control ability is so weak.
We walk down into the underground of the Demon Lord's castle.
"When I heard that Your Highness wanted to prevent a great tragedy in the future... I dared to think, perhaps atonement is possible."
I told Eleris all my secrets.
About the Gate Incident that will occur in the future, that it will be a great tragedy for all beings, and that I want to stop it.
That's why I got involved in the search for Akasha.
"Of course, I know that no matter what, the mountain of sins I have accumulated cannot be cleared away... But if it's possible, if I can contribute even a little to prevent that future tragedy. Maybe I can alleviate, even just a tiny bit, the weight of the slaughter and sins I've accumulated... I dared to think that way..."
Eleris seeks atonement, but she knows that to desire it for herself is both extravagant and repulsive.
Yet still, she thinks that if helping me can alleviate her sins even a little, she will cooperate for her own sake.
She would be afraid to take anyone's side in a war, but this is about saving everyone.
So Eleris hopes my words are sincere, and she helps me.
"Your Highness..."
"Yes?"
"I believe it is fortunate that I have met you, no matter how this turns out. That you wandered the human-filled Imperial Capital and found me, it is my luck, and your luck... That's what I believe."
That our meeting is lucky for both of us.
Hoping and believing that, Eleris speaks, and I continue to support her as we descend the stairs.
"It might not have been luck that brought us together."
"..."
I put more strength into the arm supporting Eleris.
Our encounter in the shop in the Imperial Capital was the beginning of this entire story.
If I hadn't met Eleris, I might have wandered some street in the Imperial Capital and lived like a beggar or been caught and hanged for being a demon.
If I hadn't met Eleris, I wouldn't have been able to enter the temple, and none of this would have even begun.
Can our meeting be considered lucky for both of us?
Will it be remembered as such?
I don't know.
Nevertheless,
"Even if it wasn't luck, I'm confident I won't regret it."
I won't regret any of this.
"..."
Upon hearing my words, tears welled up in Eleris's eyes.
Soon, we were able to arrive at the underground bunker of the Demon King's Castle.
It was certain that we had arrived before Antirianus and the Archlich.
Eleris had regained some strength, having somewhat recovered by now.
"If the way to break through the Quantum Maze and reach here is the same, do you think they can also break through the maze and come here?"
"I'm not quite sure about that."
I didn't know for sure whether only Archdemons could reach this place.
The important thing was that after me and Charlotte, Eleris could also enter this place. Since Charlotte, who had only half a soul, could come here, it was certain that the Archdemon who had become a vampire could enter this place as well.
Eleris and I headed toward the library.
Roswin had coveted the grimoires Charlotte had taken from this place, committed a murder in the palace, and headed for the Lich's tomb.
So, once Antirianus betrayed us, he was bound to find a way to reach this place soon.
Before that, we needed to retrieve or burn the grimoires.
"Still, it feels… such a waste to burn them…"
"I'm a magician too, so it's regrettable that I can't retrieve them… but we don't know what will happen when Akasha is completed…"
Eleris and I sighed in front of the library.
"Maybe it's right to burn them if there's something like the magic Archlich used."
"I suppose that's one way to think about it…"
I knew that magic was powerful, but just imagining what would have happened if that meteor had crashed into the ground made me feel dizzy.
Of course, it was even more absurd that Harriet had managed to stop it.
Magic in itself was dangerous, and it was better not to have such high-level magic in the world.
It might be better to burn the grimoires than secure them, considering that such grimoires might be lying dormant somewhere in this library.
As I gazed at the library for a moment, the title of a certain book caught my eye.
[Understanding the Orbital Structure of Meteor Clusters through Celestial Observation and Dimensional Gate Opening through Orbital Calculations]
It was an incredibly thick book with a rather long title.
What was this?
I wasn't sure, but was it my imagination that this felt somewhat similar in context to that magic?
I pulled out the thick book.
"Your Highness, here…"
Eleris seemed to have discovered something as well, holding up a book from somewhere.
The book Eleris held had the same title.
[Understanding the Orbital Structure of Meteor Clusters through Celestial Observation and Dimensional Gate Opening through Orbital Calculations]
Eleris stared blankly at the grimoire I was holding.
"It seems to be the same book…"
"…Indeed."
We had pulled out exactly the same book from completely different bookshelves.
A strange shiver ran down our spines.
Charlotte had taken a considerable number of grimoires from here not long ago, and I had seen the pile of books scattered throughout Roswin's house.
I had clearly seen that their scale was far from ordinary.
So, there should be at least one or two empty shelves here.
"Why... are all the bookshelves...?"
However.
Every bookshelf that came into my view was completely filled without the slightest gap.
Past experiences flashed through my mind.
The same book in the hands of Eleris and me. It was probably a magic book related to meteor summoning.
When I first discovered this bunker with Charlotte and Turner, I tried to find a magic book in this library that could improve Charlotte's condition. For example, something dealing with souls.
I found a book on soul manipulation right away.
The second time I visited with Eleris and Lucinil, I tried to find another version of soul manipulation to show Lucinil.
I found the demon-language version of soul manipulation straight away.
And Eleris found the magic book that designed this labyrinth, called Quantum Maze, right away.
And now.
I tried to find a magic book similar to meteor summoning and found it immediately.
This library.
Strangely enough, there are many magics.
Oddly enough.
Could it be?
Have I been mistaken all this time?
Eleris and I stared at each other blankly.
I turned my gaze to one of the library's bookshelves.
Could there be a magic book about fireballs?
As I shifted my gaze, a book caught my eye.
[Understanding and Application of Basic Destructive Magic of the Fire Element – Fireball]
Although relatively thin compared to other magic books, there was a book on fireballs.
"These books on the shelves are changing in real-time."
"Yes... definitely..."
Whenever I tried to find a magic book, that book would be on the shelf at some point.
That's why I could find them right away without wasting time.
Eleris and I both turned pale.
I never wanted it before.
Because it would be in the hands of others.
I didn't get curious because I thought so. I didn't think there would be information about it here.
But now.
I want to know.
No, this bookshelf will tell me.
What is Akasha? Is there a magic book or something with information about Akasha?
I looked around once again.
But there was no book in sight.
Is there no material about what Akasha is?
No, is the keyword wrong?
Is it possible that there are not only magic books but also other books?
Anything else would be fine.
A record or document about Akasha, even if it's not a book about magic. Is there something?
Anything?
As I looked around again, there was a book in sight.
A notebook-like object bound in red leather caught my eye.
I took out the book, but there was no title.
I opened the book.
After seeing the first page, I couldn't help but hold my breath.
[My son. Never use Akasha for destruction.]
That single sentence.
It wasn't numerous complex theories and explanations, but that one sentence that explained everything to me.
"Eleris…"
"Yes… Your Highness."
Unknowingly, I had been searching for Akasha, even though it was already in the palm of my hand.
Akasha is an artifact.
And naturally, I had thought that an artifact would be an object.
But it's not an object.
"I think… this bookshelf, no… not just the bookshelf…"
I look around the library.
"This space… itself… seems to be… Akasha…"
Akasha was, indeed, a space.
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